I Will Glue You Back Together
by Becks Rylynn
Summary: AU. When a case brings three people to a haunted island, one of them soon finds themself facing the life they left behind, the ghosts that still haunt and the person they used to be. Happy Halloween!
1. hurt myself again today

_AN: Oh, the things you do for family. This story is for my wonderful, Supernatural obsessed mother and two of my awesome aunts who loyally watched Harper's Island until the end. It's also my annual Halloween story._

_And don't worry, I haven't abandoned Pace Yourself, the next few chapters are all written. I'm just waiting until after the Halloween season so I can dedicate all my time to that story.....and a few others. What can I say? The story ideas just hit me and they're way too good to ignore._

_Without further ramblings, I give you a new crossover, five part, Rubycentric, Halloween story. Enjoy!_

_Happy Halloween!_

* * *

**Title:**_** I Will Glue You Back Together  
**_**Summary:**_ When a case brings the Winchester brothers and Ruby to a haunted island, Ruby finds herself fighting her unwanted feelings for one of the brothers, and her old ghosts that are trying to claw their way out. _AU. Five parts.  
**Fandom(s):** Supernatural, Harper's Island.  
**Spoilers:** Spoilers for pretty much all of Harper's Island. No real major spoilers for SPN.  
**Timeline:** **HI:** About a year and a little bit after the events of the show, **SPN:** Totally and completely AU in a universe where Dean somehow got out of the deal, never went to hell and everything's back to normal. No angels, no Lucifer, just Dean, Sam....and Ruby.  
**Pairings:** Past Trish Wellington/Henry Dunn, there is some Dean Winchester/Ruby but it's not....outright a _romance _between them. I was going for mostly friendship.  
**Rating: **T for language and some violence in later chapters.  
**Genre:** Horror/Hurt/Comfort.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own Supernatural, Harper's Island or the song Breathe Me by Sia.

* * *

**I Will Glue You Back Together**

_[part one; hurt myself again today]_

* * *

_Written by Becks Rylynn_

* * *

_help, i have done it again  
i have been here many times before  
hurt myself again today  
and, the worst part is there's no one else to blame  
_**-sia, **_**breathe me**_

* * *

_She has this recurring nightmare...._

_It's awful and cruel and horrible, it feels like sickness clawing in her throat. _

_In the dream she's running, in bare feet, all in white; a vision of beauty and grace and fear. In her dream.....she's always so _scared_. Her heart is pumping wildly, adrenaline coursing through her blood. That's when she finds her hero. As soon as she sees him the fear disappears because she knows she's _safe with him_. She's safe, she's safe, she's alive. Her eyes are stained with trust and love and the words they speak echo unnaturally throughout the woods._

_''Wakefield escaped. Henry, Wakefield's escaped. We have to go.''_

_The hero is going to save her now, he's going to get her out and save her, she knows this. That is _all_ she knows. And then her dream turns dark. The sky grows black suddenly, like a wicked witch has cast a spell. The darkness has come and all has gone black when he says, ''I gave him the key'' and the sky tumbles and falls. Her dress, the white dress that makes her look like Cinderella feels too heavy, everything feels too heavy._

_She can't breathe as she chokes out a disbelieving. ''What?''_

_''Sully was right.'' His voice sounds so soft. He doesn't _sound_ like a killer. ''Wakefield has an accomplice. It's just not Jimmy.''_

_Her dream is a nightmare in the next instant and there are harsh words spoken, but she can barely hear what he's saying and then she's on the ground, her fingernails digging into the dirt. And she's trying, _trying_ to crawl away from safety (not safety anymore, he's not safe, not a hero) but he won't let her. His hand pulls at her dark locks of hair and everything is _broken_._

_''Stop it,'' he says and....and he doesn't sound gentle anymore. ''Don't make this harder than it is. It had to happen on our wedding. I needed a way here. You see?''_

_Uh...no. She doesn't. Not really. Why did it have to be her? Why did he have to break her? Why couldn't he do this to someone else? Anyone but her. Through tears that burn down her cheeks, she wonders if he's the only monster in these woods. How could she wish this on anyone else?_

_''You killed them,'' she says. ''You killed my father! And J.D.....'' _

_''I'm sorry.'' And it's crazy but she swears for just a second that he means it. ''I'm sorry they had to go. It's part of the plan.'' She can barely hear his stupid words that mean less than nothing over the roaring beating of her heart. His words are trivial and unneeded and this hurts so bad she wishes he would just kill her already. ''But,'' he starts again and his next words promise to stay with her forever, even after death. ''I really wanted to give you the wedding.''_

_She breaks._

_''You bastard.....You bastard, you bastard!''_

_He's horrible and awful and cruel and she's sure he must have done this all just to torture her. She tries to fight him, beating him on the chest with closed fists that shake with heartache. She thinks she hears him whisper something else but she doesn't care anymore. There are seconds that pass before he slams the knife into her side and that is all it takes. All she needs. As her blood spills, as she makes a pathetic gasping noise, clinging to him because he was hers once, as the life slips out of her, she gazes up at him with big, wide blue eyes that (against her will) still hold all the love in the world.....something happens._

_She changes._

_Why is it that all the good girls have to die?_

_Her soul turns black like tar, a big onyx mess of betrayal and a love she just doesn't want anymore, hatred and wishes that don't come true. And slowly.....before they close for good...._

_....Blue eyes dilate black._

_And he doesn't know enough, he doesn't know about the other world, he doesn't know anything. He's too careless and too emotional to do anything right. So, he makes a mistake. A horrible mistake that curses her forever. You see, he really should have checked to see if she was really dead._

That's when she wakes up. Gasping and sweaty, her lungs aching for breath she can't catch. Her legs fight with blankets that feel scratchy and thick, finally kicking them off as she sits upright in a cheap motel bed and _breathes._ It's dark out; the sky blackened and sparkling with diamonds as she draws her knees up to her chest and attempts to make it all go away. And she asks herself why she still sleeps when she knows the nightmare will only come back.

When the morning finally comes, she rises from the bed, her limbs aching and stiff and she stands in front of the bathroom mirror, studying her appearance with careful eyes. Her eyes are blue, flashing with secrets and she fingers the blond tresses, tilting her head to the side. Something is missing. She looks away from her reflection briefly and does her best not to remember. When she looks back at herself, her eyes are black. She lets a grim smile slide over her lips.

_''You killed them. You killed my father! And J.D.....''_

She shakes her head. She is not that girl anymore. That girl is dead.

**end part one**

* * *

**AN: Confused? Upset that it was so short? Don't worry, it'll all be explained soon. And the next parts will be longer. A lot longer. Next part will be up on either the 26th or the 27th.**


	2. ouch, i have lost myself again

_AN: Part two. Not much to say._

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Supernatural, Harper's Island or the song Breathe Me by Sia.

* * *

**I Will Glue You Back Together**

_[part two; ouch, i have lost myself again]_

* * *

_Written by Becks Rylynn_

* * *

_ouch, i have lost myself again  
lost myself and i am nowhere to be found  
_**-sia, **_**breathe me**_

* * *

She is super composed and her face is a blank canvas that gives nothing away as she steps into the crowded diner and scans the room for - oh, there they are. Maneuvering her way through what has to be some sort of fire code violation, waitresses rushing around, dodging people and employees; she chokes down a sigh and does her best not to roll her eyes. When Sam had called earlier, she had been shocked. The first thing that had come out of her mouth was, ''How did you get this number?'' When he had politely asked her to meet them, she had nearly fallen over. Because since when did he ask to meet her? That's not the way it's supposed to work.

But, she had simply thought, _hey, what have I got to lose?_

Now, she's wishing she had just stayed away.

It may sound stupid, human and weak, but....she doesn't like crowds. There's too much noise and too much heat and you're too vulnerable. While most people seek safety in numbers, feel okay in crowds, she doesn't. You never know who might stab you in the back. Literally.

But her breathing is steady and there's not one strand of blond hair out of place when she finally reaches them. ''Hello boys,'' she greets with a voice like velvet as she slides into a seat. ''How are my favourite idiots?''

Beside her, looking affronted and annoyed, Dean slides his gaze to his brother and narrows his eyes. ''Did you hear that, Sammy? She just insulted us. I'm so glad you brought her here.''

Sam doesn't even look up from the papers he's examining, but sends the older man a thumbs up and mutters out a distracted greeting towards her.

She takes advantage of Dean's slip and reaches for a fry on his plate because he's not looking so what could be the harm? His hand locks around her wrist tightly, answering her question as he turns to scowl at her. ''Do _not _touch my food, woman.''

She looks at him closely and doesn't smirk. Even though she really, _really_ wants to. That was, after all, quite impressive. Despite that, she plasters a scowl on her face and with one twist of her wrist it's _her_ hand gripping _his _wrist. ''Do _not_ call me woman, jackass.'' And then she reaches forwards with her other hand and steals a fry just to piss him off.

''Okay!'' He pulls his arm back and tosses both hands up in the air, frustration glinting in green eyes. She snickers and hides her face behind a curtain of blond hair. ''That's it!'' He snaps. ''You and me, blondie. Let's go.''

She freezes briefly and it's just a momentary lapse of judgment, really, that's all it is. But her breath catches and a whole different kind of smirk dances its way across her lips. Even Sam lifts his eyes to his brother for a second.

Dean looks in between them and she watches as realization dawns on him. His eyes widen ever so slightly, but he quickly pastes a calm look on his face and clears his throat. ''Fighting,'' he clarifies. ''I meant fighting.''

She laughs and crosses her arms, leaning back against the comfortable booth. ''Trust me, babe, you couldn't handle me either way.''

''Don't call me that,'' he grumbles under his breath and only sighs this time when she reaches for another fry.

''Now,'' she pulls Dean's plate closer and reaches for the ketchup bottle.

He's sunken back against the vinyl, pinching the bridge of his nose, jaw twitching. Without even looking up, Sam says, ''No violence in public, Dean.''

She grins and bleeds the ketchup bottle dry. ''Tell me, boys,'' she drawls, purposefully ignoring the look of horror Dean's shooting her at the mess of red on the plate. ''What exactly am I doing here?''

At that, Sam looks up, flipping the file shut. He opens his mouth to speak, falters slightly when he sees what she's done to his brother's poor food, and then shakes his head and speaks. ''You're here because....because...well.....'' He trails off with a barely there grimace and turns to his brother for help.

''Don't look at me,'' Dean says, ''I ain't sayin' it.''

She arches an eyebrow, pops a fry in her mouth and waits patiently. ''Hey, I can wait all day. I got nothin' better to do.''

''Yeah, I'm sure.''

She frowns and clips the elder Winchester over the head for that remark, biting back a grin when he yelps.

''We need your help,'' Sam blurts out.

She halts, Dean groans, Sam takes a long gulp of coffee that has probably gone cold. Well, well, well, isn't this an interesting turn of events. ''Aw,'' she smiles brightly and tilts her head to the side. ''You guys, I'm so flattered.'' To prove her point, she punches Dean on the arm with mock excitement and claps her hands together. ''You like me, you _really_ like me!''

''Stop hitting me,'' Dean warns.

Sam sighs that long and tired sigh usually meant for his brother.

Dean rubs his shoulder and winces. ''Ow.''

Her smile quickly fades and distrust shines brightly in her blue eyes as she pushes the plate of food away and takes his coffee instead....right from his hand.

''Uh...._hey._''

''Forgive me if I'm a little distrustful.'' She burns her tongue on surprisingly hot coffee, but doesn't care. ''But you're not going to send me off on some suicide mission, are you? I mean, this isn't like some kid poking at a weeble just to see if it falls down, right?''

Dean blinks. ''_What_ the _hell_ does that even mean?''

''Well, I'm not going to be sent on some stupid goose chase just so you can see if I'm indestructible, am I?''

''No one is indestructible, Ruby,'' Sam says calmly.

''Well, actually - ''

She clamps her hand over Dean's mouth without looking away from Sam and leans a little closer, meeting the younger Winchester's eyes. ''Sam,'' she says and she makes sure her voice is firm. ''If I agree to help am I suddenly going to find myself stuck in a Devil's Trap, staring down the throat of some horrible hell beast?'' Because honestly, that is like, the last thing she needs right now.

He looks at her, leans closer and keeps his eyes trained on her. ''Ruby, we have no plans to hurt you. I promise.''

Promises, promises.

''Well,'' she thinks about it for a moment and then shrugs. ''Oka - ew!'' She pulls her hand away from Dean's mouth sharply, her eyes falling black as she whips around to glare at him. ''What the hell, Dean? Did you just lick me?'' Sputtering in disgust, she wipes her hand on her jeans and tries not to growl. How immature. Seriously, how old is this guy?

In a shocking turn of events, Dean does not say a word. Instead, he smiles, pats her cheek rather condescendingly, and steals his coffee back.

She glowers but when she opens her mouth to snap at him, no words come out. And she tries to remember the last time she was speechless, but it only brings up memories that make her hands begin to shake, so she stops thinking and turns back to Sam. ''Okay, what am I helping with?''

''Ghosts,'' Sam says.

''Lots of them,'' Dean adds.

And she's left still in the dark because that is extremely vague and that whole finishing each other's sentence thing is not as adorable as they think it is. ''Yeah, I'm going to need a little bit more info.'' She taps her fingers impatiently on the table top and waits while Sam opens the file and flips through a few papers. Ghosts. Well....okay. Ghosts are pretty easy. Fun too. Maybe a hunt is just what she needs to get her mind off of nightmares and white dresses stained with red.

''All right, a bunch of people went to this tiny little island off the coast of Seattle for a wedding and they started getting picked off one by one....''

Oh.

Right. Of course.

Curse her horrible, awful, bad luck.

For a single moment, she remains frozen in her seat, blinking at Sam like he's not speaking english. But then everything he has just said sinks in and she starts to shake. He pushes the file over to her and she's pretty sure she's going to pass out. Or throw up. Maybe both. This....This isn't happening. This is a dream. Yep, that's all it is. This is just part of her nightmare and she's going to wake up soon. It's okay. But her hands are trembling and her stomach is churning and she has to screw her mouth shut to keep from vomiting as she slowly pulls the file towards her. A quick glance towards Dean tells her he's aware her body is trembling beside his but he's trying not to say anything. His grip on his coffee cup is tightened to the point where his knuckles are white, his mouth is curved downwards into a frown and he is being very careful not to look at her.

She takes in a breath and tries to calm down. She can't afford to have a breakdown they'll be able to hold over her for the rest of her life. (Or unlife. Whatever you want to call it.) She really doesn't want to, but she does it anyways.

She opens the file.

_His_ smiling face looks up at her, happy and excited, only she knows now _he_ was not excited for the reasons she thought. _His_ arm is around the waist of a brunette, but she's turned away from the camera and damn it - she can still feel _his_ hands on her.

A strangled gasp escapes her lips and she has to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming, trying to breathe deeply as she shuts the file abruptly and pushes it away from her.

Beside her, Dean says, ''Hmm'' and takes another sip of his coffee.

''Ruby? Are you all right? You look a little....sick.''

She looks up at Sam sharply and feels the anger overwhelm the pain. Her eyes settle into a glare and her hands curl into fists because....because _they've done this on purpose._ They did this, they know, this isn't a coincidence, there is no such thing. They just want to break her into tiny little pieces. And she can't let them see that. She won't.

_(I am not that girl anymore. I'm not.)_

''Harper's Island,'' she murmurs, as she swallows down the bile and uses all the strength she can muster to push away the hurting. ''You're going to Harper's Island.''

''That's the plan.'' Sam nods and studies her; looking at her like her can see _her_. Which makes her extremely uncomfortable. ''Is there something wrong with that?''

_Ghosts,_ she hears in her head. _Lots of them._

Their faces flicker in her mind, photographs held underwater and yellowed with age, the edges frayed and torn like she feels inside. She doesn't know why, she doesn't understand, why this is happening now, why this has to happen to her, but she just knows she can't go back. ''You want to go to that island,'' she speaks fiercely, a sneer in place as she calmly leans across the table. ''You go right ahead. You want to cleanse the entire island of all the blood that has been shed; you go right on ahead and just _try_ to wash it all away. I dare you. But you're doing it _without me_.'' And then she does the only thing she can do, the one thing she does best.

She runs.

She just doesn't expect one of them to run after her.

* * *

_''Ruby!''_

She hears his voice calling out to her, cutting through frigid October air, but she doesn't stop, she doesn't even slow down. In fact it's possible she may even pick up speed a little.

''Ruby, stop!''

She shivers and does not listen, does not stop. Right now, her only concern is getting away from the Winchester's and that stupid file of theirs. The gray sky overhead threatens rain and the air is cold so in a petty attempt to stay warm, she wraps her arms around herself and keeps walking.

''Ruby!'' His hand latches onto her elbow and she visibly falters, stumbling forwards a step and breathing in a sharp, surprised breath. ''Would you just stop for a second?'' He asks, letting go of her elbow and stepping in front of her. If he noticed that small display of what could have been mistaken for fear, he doesn't say anything, meeting her eyes like he's trying to read her.

Yeah, good luck with that.

''Did you do it on purpose?'' She asks, voice barely controlled, eyes filled with anger.

''Do what?''

She pauses, looks at him, and that's when it hits her. He....really doesn't know. A breath she hadn't known she was holding escapes her lips and she closes her eyes briefly, before shaking her head, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. ''What do you want from me?''

''What's wrong with you?'' He questions, sparing no time breaking it gently.

She can't help but let out a small huff of bitter and sharp laughter. There's not enough time in the world to list all of the things wrong with her and she's simply not in the mood to play a round of 'Unravel the Ruby' with one of the Winchester boys. ''Lots of things,'' she says simply, pushing past him.

He doesn't give up, but to be honest she really hadn't been expecting him too. ''I mean, what was that back there?'' He continues flawlessly, trailing behind her as she walks briskly away from him.

''What was what?''

''You were afraid.''

She stops in her tracks and lowers her gaze to the ground because suddenly she doesn't trust herself to look in his eyes in fear her frightened blue ones will give it all away. ''I wasn't afraid,'' she mumbles and she can't even manage to believe herself.

''Yeah,'' he scoffs, ''right. Look, Ruby....Ruby, look at me.'' He lifts her chin, shockingly gentle, a far cry from the usual. ''Something spooked you and I want to know what.''

Something inside her snaps and she jerks away from him, eyes hard and frustrated. ''Why do you even care, Dean? I mean, you've made it _blatantly _obvious that you hate me. You insult me, you don't trust me, you criticize everything I do, so tell me; why do you care about what I'm feeling right now? Why do you care what scares me? I mean _nothing_ to you.''

He crosses his arms, purses his lips and _looks at her_. But there's something about the way he's standing, something about the way his eyes are darkened and his breathing is slightly unsteady scares her in an entirely different way and she licks her lips nervously, wondering what to do now. He doesn't look angry, she notes, he looks like he's _restraining_ himself. Finally, he moves forwards and she goes backwards (although, she's not really sure why) but he's faster than her and before she can even attempt to stop him; he's taken a final step forwards and her wrists are locked in his very tight grasp as he stares down at her, way too close for comfort. ''You are a _very_ confusing woman, Ruby.''

Despite the close proximity and the unwanted and intoxicating feeling rushing over her, she smirks and pretends she's fine. Over the past year and a half she's....gotten very good at pretending she's fine. ''Promise?''

''But,'' he says firmly, his voice edged and lined with promises. ''I _will_ figure you out.''

She glares, leans closer and snarls, ''Good _luck._''

He doesn't say anything for a long time, but she can see in his eyes that there are a million things he would love to say to her. With a careless grin, he meets her eyes, green on blue and she has to swallow because there's nothing else she can do. ''Ruby,'' he says and his voice is different, quieter. ''You're shaking.''

She almost gasps, but she doesn't and her heart's beating so wildly she's sure he must notice. But she still pretends to be perfectly in control as she wrenches free of his grasp and sends him a withering glare. Oh, if looks could kill. Actually, if looks could kill they'd both be dead by now. Her eyes flash black and she waits a moment for the words to come, the perfect comeback, but they don't and she finds herself once again left speechless by Dean Winchester.

Damn it.

So she turns and walks away instead.

''I'm going to figure you out, Ruby!'' He calls after her. ''You know I am!''

Yeah. That's exactly what she's afraid of.

* * *

She has the dream again.

But that's really not surprising. What's surprising is, as her dream self is crawling in the dirt, trying to get away, she is roughly pulled out of her nightmare by the sound of knocking. She gives herself a moment to regain her composure and then she rises to her feet, stumbling sleepily towards the door. She's really not sure what she expects but she does not expect to find herself staring into familiar and tiring emerald eyes. ''Dean?'' Her fingers nervously tuck a strand of blond hair behind her ear as she narrows her eyes in confusion. ''What are you....How did you....Did you-Did you want something?''

Leaning casually against the door, arms crossed, smirk in place, Dean stands, looking....well, really good actually.

Wait.

What?

''I came to see you,'' he shrugs, ''is that so bad?''

She frowns and when icy air blows through the open door, she shivers, feeling goosebumps rise on her bare arms. And she has to wonder idly if he's drunk or something because this is really weird. ''It's the middle of the night,'' she mutters, rubbing her arms to keep warm.

''I was bored. Are you gonna let me in or what?''

She thinks it over for a second before deciding having Dean Winchester in her room is just way too good of an offer to decline. Again; _what? _Jesus, she really must be half asleep. ''Fine.'' She sighs out and pretends like she's annoyed as she steps aside and holds the door open. ''Come in.''

''Thank you, sweetheart. Now, was that so hard?''

She blinks after him, more and more sure he's drunk. Is he always like this? Shaking her head, she shuts the door and turns to face him. ''So, what do you want?'' She doesn't waste any time with pleasantries because...well, why would she? This is _Dean_. They are not pleasant, they are not old friends, they are hate and bitterness and distrust. But....the look he's shooting her way isn't one of hate and that throws her off...a lot. ''Do you want some coffee?'' She yawns as she moves past him. ''I could really use some coffee.''

''No,'' he says. ''I don't want coffee.''

She lets out a tired breath and turns around to face him. ''Well then what do you want, Dean? Seriously, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? What do you want from me?''

That's when his eyes darken with something she recognizes and it freaks the hell out of her. That can't be...._lust_ in his eyes....can it? Okay, something is seriously wrong with this picture. He moves towards her, like an animal on the prowl and much like earlier, he frightens her more than a little so with every step forwards he takes, she takes a step backwards....right up until her back hits the wall and she finds herself trapped.

''What I want,'' Dean says, voice low and gravely serious as he places a hand on either side of her head. ''Is you.''

She squeaks in surprise and tries to breathe properly. When she speaks, her voice is shaky and nervous and she doesn't like that. ''That's....That's funny.'' She lets out a nervous laugh and swallows hard. ''You got me.'' She pushes at his chest fruitlessly, but he doesn't move. ''You can stop now.'' Still nothing. ''Seriously, Dean, you're freaking me out.''

But he doesn't move, doesn't stop and his eyes don't showcase humor and he doesn't pull away laughing, with a careless murmur of, ''Gotcha.'' Instead, his eyes lock with hers and she's fairly certain she's about _this_ close to melting into a puddle on the floor. ''Do you want me?''

Which would be where she scoffs, shoves him away from her and snaps out, ''Are you insane? Of course I don't want _you_.'' But that's not how it goes and all she manages to get out is a breathy whisper of, ''I...I don't know.''

Whoa. What the hell is happening to her?

''You don't know,'' he repeats slowly, slipping his knee between her legs, trapping her even further. ''Okay then. I guess I'll just have to do something about that.'' And now his hands are slipping up her shirt, making her shudder and his lips are on her neck and she's trying to keep control, she really is, but it's _astonishingly_ difficult.

''Dean,'' she whispers, biting back a whimper.

Oh, this is just wrong.

''Why are you doing this?''

''Isn't it obvious?'' He questions, pulling away to meet her eyes. ''I want you to admit that you want me.''

She looks at him, ready to gain back her control, but he's got some kind of hold on her and she just can't lie. Her control and reason slip away instantly and she manages a shaky nod as she winds her arms around his neck. ''I want you, Dean.'' And then _she _kisses_ him_, pushing him towards the bed.

Of course that's when -

- She opens her eyes.

Breathing unsteady, sweat beading on her forehead, she groans in bed and covers her face with her hands. Yeah, okay, that was a little weird. ''Oh,'' she moans into her hands. ''That's not good.'' When she can once again breathe properly, she gulps in a few breaths, slowly rolls over....and meets identical blue eyes. A startled shriek begins to escape her lips, but the woman lying next to her easily puts a hand over her mouth and looks at her calmly.

''Hello,'' the newcomer says simply. She sounds unnaturally cheerful, even though she really shouldn't be. ''Long time no see.''

Ruby struggles, clawing at the woman and finally, she manages to roll away from her, falling right off the bed. Her heart is beating wildly and her stomach is jumping nervously as she rises unsteadily to her feet to face the woman who has pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed and is smiling widely up at the blonde. Ruby blinks once. She blinks twice. She rubs at her eyes. But nothing seems to do the trick. Eventually, she gives up and shakes her head, bleak smile coming to rest on her lips. ''Do you mind not sitting there? You're getting blood on the sheets.''

The radiant bride-to-be on the bed rises to her feet gracefully and delicately smoothes down elegant white fabric that is stained with dirt and dark red blood that still drips from the gruesome wound in otherwise flawless skin. ''So,'' she says cheerfully. ''Been having any good dreams lately?''

Ruby sucks in a breath to keep from lunging, jaw twitching in irritation. ''That was _you_?''

''Guilty. Had to get you here. Besides, even you deserve some sexy time.''

''Yeah, well, you interrupted me before I got to the sexy times.'' She replays the words in her head, horror sweeping over her features. ''Oh my, god, I did _not _just say that.''

''Please.'' The brunette laughs and waves her hand dismissively, moving around to the other side of the bed. ''Don't be embarrassed. He's very nice looking. Besides, you're a woman. Women have needs.''

Ruby holds up a hand, face twisting in disgust. ''Spare me the gory details, dead girl. What are you doing here?''

''Honestly,'' the other woman scoffs. ''What do you think I'm doing here? You need help, I'm your conscience, ta da, I'm here.''

''Well, go away. I don't need help.'' Drawing in a breath, she rakes her hand through blond hair and turns around to get away from the image of everything she used to be because her heart has jumped into her throat and she can't stand to look at that white dress and all that blood anymore.

''You do too.'' The image of the woman in the white dress flickers and suddenly she's right in front of her once again, arms crossed, smile still on her lips. ''You're making a mistake and you know it.''

Ruby swallows and decides she can't deal with this anymore. She pushes hair out of her face, crawls back into bed, slipping under the covers, determined to leave this place in between. ''I'm not going back.''

''You have to go back!'' The swish of fabric sounds as her clone rushes towards the bed, and she feels the bed dip when the other her takes a seat. ''You know you have to go back.''

''I won't.''

''Don't be childish.''

She hears the other version of her sighs and Ruby recognizes the sound all too well. Flashbacks of her dream, her _nightmare_, invade her mind and she remembers vividly the sound of _him _sighing in exasperation as she clawed in the dirt and hit his chest, as she screamed and cried. She opens her eyes, chest heaving, to point a shaking finger. ''I _won't_ go back there. Ever. I am not you anymore, I never will be. My name...'' She closes her eyes and breathes. ''My name is Ruby and I am _strong._ Stronger than you ever were.''

Her clone's blue eyes harden in frustration and before she can do anything, the little rich girl in the wedding dress who was always so weak and scared and _whiny_, has roughly pulled her to her feet, a scowl marring her face. ''You are _not _as strong as you think you are, _Ruby._'' She says her name like it's something foul and her nails dig painfully into the blonde's arm. ''Believe me, I should know. If you were strong, you would go back to that island and _finish this_ once and for all! But you're too selfish and scared to do _anything_!''

Ruby glares and shoves her counterpart away viciously. ''Fuck off, barbie.''

''Hey, if anyone looks like Barbie here, it's you,_ blondie_.'' The brunette takes a step towards the blonde, eyes serious and pleading. ''What about all of those people? What about your friends? Your _family_? All of those people you loved....are you just going to leave them there?''

''They're dead,'' Ruby mutters.

''But that doesn't mean they're gone! And it doesn't mean their torture ended with death!''

Ruby freezes and their faces flash before her eyes. Oh, god. They can't....no. No! They're supposed to be at peace. The thought of those people....those people she loved so much....being trapped somewhere in between makes her tremble. It's a horrible thought that makes her feel dizzy with guilt and regret.

''They're waiting for you,'' the bride says softly. ''They need you to save them. You're the only one who can.'' She moves closer, her dress moving with her. ''You have to go back. You have to go back to the island, Ruby. They may be dead, the survivors may be trying to move on, but that doesn't mean this is over yet. You're the only one who can finish it.'' And then she reaches out and puts a hand on Ruby's cheek.

* * *

And that's when she really wakes up.

Gasping for air, she sits up in the bed with an image of a bride in her head, names resting on her tongue of all of the people she lost and one clear thought in her head. She has to go back. Barely sparing a glance at the clock, she rolls out of bed and reaches for her clothes. She really needs to talk to the Winchester's.

* * *

She is not nearly as composed as earlier. Actually, she's not really composed at all as she races towards the Winchester's motel room, clothes wrinkled, hair pulled into a messy ponytail. ''Dean!'' She calls as she pounds on the door. ''Sam! Open the door! I need to talk to you!'' She pauses and frowns and for added dramatic effect, she adds a ''Morons!'' to her yell and gives the door a frustrated and very much impatient kick. ''Boys! Open the door right this minute before I freaking break it down!''

The door finally swings open to reveal an incredibly sleepy and annoyed Dean. She falters momentarily, remembering her dream and his hands in places Dean Winchester's hands should never be and she feels an hysteric giggle growing but she swallows it down and sneers instead. ''About time, short bus.''

He blinks at her. ''Why?''

''Don't whine, Dean,'' she says as she pushes past him. ''It doesn't suit you.''

Her eyes land on Sam, sitting up in bed with his arms crossed, eyes bleary and - ''Fuck, Sam,'' she snaps, tiredly. ''Are you actually _pouting_?''

''You woke me up.''

''Deal with it.''

''You look like crap,'' he retorts smoothly, earning a short bark of laughter from Dean and an irritated look from her.

''Long night.'' She tugs at her ponytail self consciously and crosses her arms. ''Where is it?'' She demands, because there's really no time to waste. ''Where's that file you showed me today? I want it.''

Sam looks at her like she's lost her mind, but that's okay because she thinks she has. Slowly, and grumbling under his breath the entire time, he rises to his feet and grabs the file off the table behind her, handing it to her without a word. She doesn't bother with a thank you as she scans it quickly, masterfully avoiding the pictures. ''Get ready, boys,'' she drawls, doing her best to smirk. ''Tomorrow we're going to Harper's Island.''

''We?'' Sam asks, eyebrows raised. ''You're going?''

She grins and isn't sure how she manages to pull it off as she hisses out, ''Absolutely.'' She turns to make a dramatic and fast exit, but instead bumps straight into Dean. He crosses his arms, stares down at her with eyes that are still slightly sleepy but more displeased than anything else and she's left with a not so unpleasant tingling up and down her body. She swallows, meets his steady gaze with one of her own, and side steps, moving out the door as quick as she came.

She completely misses the small smirk that flitters across Dean's lips or the way Sam rolls his eyes at his brother and shakes his head.

* * *

There are a few pictures missing from the file.

They have all of the pictures of the survivors, (when she gets to the picture of Shea and Madison, she bites her lip, traces their faces and tries not to feel) they have the pictures of the killers, (she totally does _not_ have a panic attack and that is her story and she's sticking to it) but they're missing pictures of some of the victims. Beth, Shane, Nikki, Marty, Ben, Sheriff Charlie Mills and both deceased Wellingtons are missing from the Winchester's pretty little file. The last three make her breathe a little easier.

If they saw a picture of Charlie Mills, they would most likely throw two separate Winchester tantrums and panic, fingers fumbling with cell phones to call Bobby.

And if they saw pictures of the Wellingtons....well, she could explain, but she really doesn't want to. It's her who really doesn't want to see those pictures.

There is a list of names and beside their names, their cause of death is written, some in Sam's neat writing, some in Dean's impatient scrawl. As she goes down the list, she feels a little bit sicker with each passing name. She skips over the name Thomas Wellington because there is no way she's ready for that. The last name is the name she lingers on, pausing and leaning back, fingers curling around the edge of the table. It happens slowly, a gut reaction when the words finally hit her.

She smirks and almost laughs.

_Patricia Wellington; body never recovered._

Uh-huh. She pulls her hair free of its ponytail and blond hair cascades down her shoulders. She pushes it out of her face and rakes a hand through it. _Body never recovered_, she thinks.

Wonder why.

* * *

She is _fine_ the next morning. She is fine in the car (she doesn't really want to go in their car, she doesn't really want to spend an extended period of time with them because that makes her nervous, but Sam gives her a look and Dean threatens to knock her out if she doesn't get her ''skinny little ass'' in the car, so in the end she gets into the car, cursing at them the whole time) she is fine when Dean has his little freak out upon learning the only way to get there is by boat and that means he'll have to leave his precious 'baby' on the mainland. She is fine on the boat; she even manages to throw a couple lazy, cheap insults towards Dean in an effort to remember why she's supposed to hate him. He barely reacts though, which is kind of disappointing. She is fine when she can see it in the distance; she is even fine when the boat docks and she's just beginning to feel like she can do this.

And then she actually steps foot onto the island and realizes she isn't that fine after all.

Her chest is tightening, bile is rising in her throat and she just _can't._ She thought she could but she can't. When she catches onto the way Dean and Sam are eyeing her wearily, she glares and tells them to go on ahead and she'll catch up with them. Sam is the first one to turn away, somewhat hesitantly, muttering something under his breath about ''secrets'', but Dean's gaze lingers on her for an extra unneeded moment before he too turns away from her.

She is the picture of calm as she watches them go. And then, when she's sure they're gone, she loses it. She collapses under a tree, breath coming in wheezing and uneven gasps. That's when she allows herself to _feel._ The memories wash over her like an ocean and she's drowning in them, barely breathing as she remembers all of the things she would much rather forget. It's just too much. She cannot be back here. She can't, she can't, she can't. Burying her head in her hands, she feels the tears burn behind her eyes and just as she's about to break down in the tears she has worked so hard to push away, a voice speaks up, halting the tears before they can even fall.

_''Dude! It's about time you got here!''_

She looks up sharply and her blue eyes turn wide and disbelieving. Holy crap. This isn't happening. Scrambling to her feet, she stares at him, sure he can't be real, and then she takes a step forwards. And then she stops. ''S-Sully?''

_''Ah,''_ he holds up a hand and shakes his head, suddenly very serious. _''I know what you're going to say.''_ Then he grins that grin of his and she almost faints._ ''I look great for a dead guy. But seriously - hey!''_

She turns to run, ignoring his protests, but doesn't even get a step, eyes locked with the eyes of her dead best friend. _''We've been waiting for you,''_ Chloe says calmly, with a glimmer of a smile._ ''You're the only one who can help us.''_

But the words barely reach her, she just can't take this, it's too soon, she's not ready. She knows she should be strong, but that stupid weak little girl is rising inside of her and she simply can't handle this. So she runs. She runs as far away as she can as fast as she can and it is strangely reminiscent of the last time she was here.

It turns out running was stupid because she ends up in familiar territory. The bluffs. And there's nowhere to go but down because her ghosts are gaining on her. She can feel them behind her and they scare her more than any demon out there could. The cold wind angrily whips her hair into her face as she looks down at the menacing waters below, but she honestly doesn't care. She just needs to get away.

Mere seconds before she jumps, arms wrap around her waist and pull her away from the edge and when she looks behind her they're gone and she can't feel them anymore.

''Ruby!'' Dean's glaring down at her, yelling not because of the roaring wind but because he is freaking pissed. If she looks close enough, she might even see a little fear in those green eyes. ''What the fuck do you think you're doing?! Are you insane?!'' His hands move from her waist to her face and once again, she finds she's surprised by how gentle his hands are for someone so angry. ''Are you okay?''

''I...I'm fine,'' she mumbles, looking down at the ground. That was embarrassing. That little display is exactly what she'd like to avoid from now on. Utterly pathetic.

He draws his hands away suddenly and takes a step away from her, clearing his throat. ''Do you mind telling me _why_ you decided to scare me half to death with your suicidal tendencies?''

''You were scared?''

''What? No! I-I mean....just answer the question!''

''I'm not suicidal,'' she says, defensively. ''It wouldn't kill me if I jumped. It wouldn't even kill _you_.''

He sighs in exasperation and rolls his eyes. ''You're not answering the question, Ruby.''

''I....'' She pauses and swallows, trying her hardest to come up with an explanation that won't give away her secret. ''It's....pretty up here,'' she finally says lamely and mentally smacks herself. Yeah, that's a really good excuse.

He looks at her with anger that is quickly intensifying and she can tell he's about ready to throttle her. ''So, you came up here to cliff dance because it's _pretty_? Try again, Ruby! And this time try not to use the word pretty.''

''Ghosts,'' she says, meeting his eyes. ''Lots of them.'' She almost smirks, but she doesn't.

''Ghosts,'' he repeats, glancing around the abandoned cliff. ''I didn't see any ghosts.''

''Yeah, well, I did.'' She pauses again to regain control of her breathing, mentally preparing herself for his reaction to her next words. ''They need our help, Dean.''

He blinks, looks at her and then pinches the bridge of his nose. ''Of course they do.''

''Look, I know it might be hard to believe but....'' Something over Dean's shoulder catches her eye and she shudders violently, terror rising inside of her like a sickness. A familiar and very much unwelcome figure is stalking towards them, eyes cold and murderous and she reacts on instinct. ''Dean!'' She pushes him to the ground roughly and finds herself on the receiving end of a blast of John Wakefield's newfound ghost magic. She goes flying backwards, landing hard and rolling in the dirt. Unfortunately for her, she rolls right off the edge. The ground goes out from underneath her and panic and desperation crash land as she claws at the edge. She's vaguely aware of Dean yelling her name but to be honest, the wind is loud in her ears and her heart is beating noisily and the fear is slowly giving way to anger. Last time, she fell. This time, she catches herself, using all of her strength to heave herself back onto the cliff just in time to see Dean fall to the ground. He lands with a groan and a curse and Wakefield moves slowly towards him, ready to tear him to pieces.

''No!''

The ghost whirls around at her scream (it sounds more like a desperate plea) and he snarls, like an animal. He's not far from it, actually. ''It's me you want!'' She stumbles forwards a few steps, but comes to a stop abruptly. ''I'm the one that got away! I'm the one that came back! Just leave him alone, he has nothing to do with this.''

Wakefield seems to consider this for a moment and then gives a brisk nod, turning his full attention to her.

She tries to take a deep breath, wishing she had a rock salt loaded gun at the moment. As it is, she is weaponless and there's a homicidal ghost of a homicidal man bearing down on her. Wonderful. ''So,'' she speaks casually, risking a glance towards Dean, who's coughing and slowly rising to his feet. ''How've you been?'' She asks, with a shrug.

He growls at her, jaw twitching.

She lets a grin slide across her lips and goes in for the kill. ''Tell me, John; how's your son?'' She pretty much knows what he's going to do next, but right now her only concern is getting him away from Dean.

As expected, Wakefield snarls, lunges and this time when she falls, there's nothing to hold onto.

* * *

Sam looks up when Dean and Ruby stumble into the room, both dripping wet and unhappy. ''What the hell happened to you two?''

''Got tossed off a cliff by the ghost of a homicidal maniac,'' Ruby remarks casually, stripping off her wet jacket.

Dean shrugs, like it's no big deal as he says, ''Jumped in after her.''

''Oh, right.'' Sam bites back a smirk and trains his gaze on the computer screen. ''Naturally.''

* * *

She's warm and dry now, she's stopped shivering out of coldness and she's a little less sore than before, but she's still shaken and her hands are still trembling. Only it's not the fall that's got her so frightened.

She's on the bed, poring over the Harper's Island file, reading Abby's reports of _that last day._ That could be why she feels faint.

Dean and Sam aren't looking at her and she's glad. She doesn't need them breathing down her neck. Especially not now. With a sigh, she flips the file closed and lies back down on the bed. Her trembling fingers move against her will, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a ring. One more glance at the Winchester's but they're still not looking, they've all but forgotten she's there.

The ring in her hand is beautiful, it sparkles and glistens in the dim light and she can remember a time when looking down at her finger and seeing this stupid ring made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Now it just makes her feel hollow and angry inside. The ring is tainted with broken promises and too much blood now. It's the one object she has left in her life that ties her to the person she used to be. She left everything else behind.

When she woke up in those woods, her heart felt icy cold and all she could think about was getting off that island so she could be someone else. Someone better, someone stronger, someone who was capable of saving the world. She dyed her hair, burned the damn dress, but kept the ring.

She almost scoffs in disgust. All this time she's been so concentrated on running, she forgot what she was running from was right in her pocket. And you know what? This is getting tiring. This hiding, this running. She came back to _finish_ this, she's going to have to stop running if she wants to do that.

''So, are you ever going to explain what happened this afternoon?'' Dean's voice snaps her out of her thoughts and she hides the ring in her fist, sitting up to send him a small smirk.

''I wasn't planning on it.''

He glares at her, but it's not so much angry, just tired. He moves closer to the bed she's lying on and for some reason the thought of the two of them and a bed makes that unwanted tingly feeling return. ''What did you mean by 'I'm the one that got away'?''

''God, Dean,'' she rolls her eyes and rises to her feet, pulling on heeled designer boots and grabbing her jacket. ''Do you _ever_ mind your own business?''

''Very rarely,'' Sam answers for his brother, shrugging carelessly when Dean shoots him a look.

She blinks and flicks blond hair over her shoulder. ''Hm, well, I'm going out.''

''Where are you going?''

''_Out,_'' she replies, curtly, opening the door.

''You know what I never understood?'' Dean's drawl stops her in her tracks and she resists the strong urge to groan and roll her eyes because something about the tone of his voice is telling her he's about to say something that could potentially piss her off. He clearly doesn't care as he continues. ''How no one ever knew this Dunn guy was a raging psychopath. His friends, his brother, his _bride_....''

At her side, her hands curl into fists and when she turns around, she doesn't even try to hide her wide eyed look of horror.

He doesn't react to the genuine fear in her eyes, crossing his arms and staring at her like _he knows._ ''But then I realized something. They loved him. _She _loved him. And love is blind, right?''

_''Here, catch this casket; it is worth the pains. I am glad 'tis night, you do not look on me, for I am much ashamed of my exchange: But love is blind and lovers cannot see.''_ The person she used to be, the weakling who still lives in her head, recites the words with passion and ease and that's when her eyes go black and her horror is replaced by raw, unrefined _rage._

''She trusted him,'' Dean continues, effortlessly. And she's angry and there's an intense look in his eyes and Sam's left looking between them, extreme trepidation on his face. ''Isn't that right?''

She _is_ surprised, of course she's surprised. She's surprised he knows, she's surprised he's not demanding an explanation, but what surprises her most is the way she feels inside. Somebody knows her deep, _dark_ secret. Dean, of all people. She should be freaking out, screaming, cursing and _running._ But all she can feel is relief. ''Yes,'' she whispers, at last. ''She did. She loved him with...._all that she had._'' For a moment, the sadness outweighs the twenty thousand other emotions rushing through her, but like always, the bitterness quickly takes over. ''But she was an idiot. Gullible and foolish and too in love to see straight. Do you know where _trust_ and _love_ get you? They get you dead. Six feet under, worm food, chillin' with the corpses, _dead_.'' And with that cutting remark, she turns and storms out the door.

Only this time, however, she's not even a little surprised when he chases after her.

''Ruby, wait!''

She stops, takes a breath, turns around and has to purse her lips to keep from saying anything. He looks at her and she knows, she doesn't just think, that he can see _her_. She swears she sees actual care and concern flash in his eyes before she realizes that is crazy.

They're both breathing heavily, shocked by the abrupt turn of events and in the freezing air, they can see their breath, little gray wisps. He takes a step closer and she doesn't move away. His voice is intense and fierce; she can tell he needs her to answer, as he says, ''Who are you?''

She smiles sadly and moves over to the railing of the motel balcony. In the distance she can just barely see the ocean and even though the skies are quickly darkening and she hears thunder rolling, coming closer and closer, it really is a gorgeous view. She had forgotten how truly beautiful this island can be when you're not running scared in bare feet and a wedding dress. ''Now, Dean,'' she says, voice coming out as a rasp, the ring suddenly feeling too heavy in her hand. There's still the ghost of a smile on her face as she turns to look at him. ''I think you already know the answer to that question.''

She doesn't waste a moment as she carefully places the ring on the railing and turns, rushing down the hall and away from him. He doesn't follow this time. She breathes a small sigh of relief. It's time to confront her ghosts; it's time to end this.

(After all, you can't run forever.)

* * *

He can't explain it. He doesn't really want to. But there's just something about her that intrigues him. Something about her just makes him want to know more and more about her. She's strange and mysterious and enigmatic and - _damn it, Ruby, what are you doing to me?_

He had been perfectly content to ignore the feelings gnawing at his insides. But then that day in the diner came and he just needed to unravel all of her mysteries because she was driving him insane. Her reaction to Sam's carefully organized Harper's Island file (no, seriously, Dean's beginning to wonder if his brother is a tad OCD, although...Sam might say the same about him and his car) had been....puzzling. The shaking, the way she had paled when she saw the face of the man in the picture, (after that, Dean made sure that picture was moved to the back of the file) the utter devastation in her voice when she had asked him if he had _done it on purpose._

But he had shaken it off because that was just way too weird to think about. Even for him.

Then there was the whole showing up in the middle of the night thing. Everything that had happened since arriving was simply conformation. And he had wished, desperately hoped....that she wasn't who he thought she was because, for reasons unknown, he hated the thought of her going through something like that.

But now there's the ring and her words echoing in his ears. As he plucks the ring from the edge and stares at it for a long time, he can wish all he wants, but it won't change the truth. Dean lifts his eyes to the space where she once stood, closing his eyes briefly and running a hand over his tired face.

Okay, so...yeah.....

....Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

Turning on his heel, he marches back into the room and barks out an order, ''Sammy! I need you to find a picture of Patricia Wellington.''

''Dean,'' Sam's voice is calm as he rises to his feet and looks at his brother hesitantly. ''What's going on?''

''Picture, Sam. Now.'' Dean holds Sam's gaze for a long time and gives him that look that says, _I am older, I am wiser, plus I could pound you into next month so don't fuck with me_.

Finally, the younger man scowls and sits back down, fingers dancing on the computer keys. Sending Dean a glare, he sighs and shakes his head. ''You will eventually have to explain to me what's going - holy shit.''

Dean sucks in a nervous breath, watching as Sam freezes like he's seen a ghost (or something that would actually scare a Winchester) and leans back against his seat, eyes wide and disbelieving. Clutching the ring tighter, Dean exhales and moves to look at the screen. Yeah, it's her all right. Same ice blue eyes, same smile, only she looks....happier. Lighter, somehow. Her hair is dark and swirling around her in the wind, she's wearing a dress (yes, an actual_ dress_) and her arms are thrown around a dark haired man he recognizes from the file. And on her finger, a ring catches his eye. The same ring he's holding in his hand. His heart thuds and drops into his stomach, a lump growing in his throat. Its official now, there's no denying it. Apparently, there is a reason why Patricia Wellington's body was never recovered.

Ruby _is _Patricia Wellington.

The two brothers share a look, wondering what the hell they're supposed to do now.

''Well,'' Dean says, ''fuck.''

* * *

_'Shortly after the tragic events of the Harper's Island massacre, the Candlewick Inn closed its doors for good.'_

When she read that newspaper article, cut out neatly and placed on top of the list of names, she laughed. She actually _burst out laughing. _She couldn't help it. It was just so horrible she had to laugh or else she would have broken down in tears.

She doesn't really want to be doing this, she doesn't really want to be doing any of this, but she's going to do all of it anyways because...well, because this is her fight. This isn't Dean's fight, this isn't Sam's fight. This is hers, this is all hers. And tonight, she will end it (because it needs to be ended) once and for all so she can move on.

The sun has just set by the time she reaches her destination and the sound of thunder is getting closer as it rolls in from the distance. She can practically taste the rain that will inevitably come. If she's lucky, it will all be over by the time the rain falls, but since when is she ever lucky?

The building in front of her has been abandoned ever since 'The Harper's Island Massacre' which has become somewhat of a legend around here. But, if the building is abandoned, why can she see shadows moving around inside? She sighs. Stupid question. Face blank and emotionless, she tilts her head to the side and watches the shadows flittering about inside. Folding her arms across her chest, she narrows her eyes and licks her lips. ''Haunting an inn,'' she mutters. ''How clichéd.'' The shadows pause momentarily and the shadows inside stop suddenly and turn towards her, like they're looking at her. She ignores the way her heart speeds up. ''Is this the part where something creepy happens?'' As if they have heard her, a shadow raises a hand and crooks a finger at her, beckoning her to them. ''Yeah,'' she swallows. ''I thought so.''

She takes a step, pauses, takes a few deep breaths and then moves forwards.

They're waiting for her.

**end part two**


	3. yeah, i think that i might break

_AN: Hey there! So, this is the real action chapter, lots of ghost action, a mid chapter cliffhanger and a major cliffhanger at the end. Hence it being posted on Halloween. There are two other parts that I had envisioned getting up by Halloween but it didn't turn out that way so part three will be posted today and apparently by Halloween story will continue into early November._

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

**I Will Glue You Back Together**

_[part three; yeah, i think that i might break]_

* * *

_Written by Becks Rylynn_

* * *

_yeah, i think that i might break  
i've lost myself again and i feel unsafe  
_**-sia, **_**breathe me**_

* * *

There is no one in sight when she steps inside. Not one ghost, not a single lost soul. But she knows they're here. They're just lost in the shadows, just out of her reach. ''Okay,'' she says softly. ''I'm here.'' But when nothing happens, a frown comes to rest on her lips and she peers around the room expectantly. ''Hello? Ghosties? I said I'm here, you want my help or not?'' Still nothing. She makes a frustrated noise somewhere between a sigh and a groan and rolls her eyes. Can nothing ever be simple?

Somewhat cautiously, she moves farther into the room, searching for something, _anything_ that will tell her she's not alone. There's nothing on the main floor, no cold spots, no hair rising encounters, so she moves upstairs. She has just stepped up the last step when she sees a familiar figure at the end of the hall. He's standing still, too still, and his face is shrouded by the shadows but she knows who it is right away. Her vision blurs for just a second, she has to reach out and grip the wall for support, breathing out a shocked whisper of, ''_Daddy_?''

That's when her brain kicks in and she steps forwards, heart thundering wildly. She is halfway to him when he turns around and starts to walk away. ''Wait!'' She cries out, breaking into a run, desperate to reach him. ''Dad!'' But when he turns into a room and she races to follow, she finds only an empty room and her heart sinks. ''Damn it.'' Looking around the room for any sign of her ghostly father, she realizes just which room she's standing in.

Oh, boy.

There's a sound from behind her, an eerie squeaking, when she turns around slowly she finds the window is opening on its own. In her memory, there are heavy footsteps and hushed whispers and when everything comes closer, she simply tries to breathe. Moving backwards a few steps, she whirls around to escape but the door swings shut, slamming in her face, trapping her in. Much to her horror, she's stuck here, watching history. Turning back around, she can only watch as a woman dressed in white, dark hair flowing, rushes over to the window and climbs out.

It would be traumatic enough if she only had to watch it replay once. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there, the torture continues as she watches herself climb out the window over and over and over again, reliving one of the worst moments of her life.

She knows exactly who's doing this to her.

The tears come out of shock, grief and anger, filling her eyes and threatening to overflow but she manages to keep them at bay, glaring at the room like it's the one doing this to her. ''Stop it,'' she commands. ''Stop it right now.''

The past climbs out the window again.

She has worked so hard to get control, to be strong, to become someone other than _her_ and it's all slipping away from her like a sinking ship. Tears slip down her cheeks, her throat aches with sobs.....and she can't remember how to make them go away. ''Please,'' she whispers, brokenly. ''Please stop.'' But begging doesn't get her anywhere, just like last time.

And she begins to break.

_''Hey,''_ a gentle voice speaks up and she turns to see Hunter standing beside her. _''Hey, what are you doing? You're stronger than this.''_

_''He's just trying to break you,''_ Richard adds, standing on her other side, slightly uncomfortable._ ''Don't let him.''_

_''Yeah,'' _another voice chimes in, only this voice is only in her head and it sounds just like a certain Winchester. _''You are _Ruby_ for crying out loud. Don't be a wimp.''_

She sniffles and looks at the past version of her. Except it's not her. That is not who she is anymore and _he_ can't hurt her like this. Glaring through glassy eyes, she swallows hard and uses all of her strength to push the past away. ''Stop it!'' For added effect, she stomps her foot on the ground. A wind blows through the room, vicious and angry, (she swears she hears an angry hiss echo throughout the room) and the thunder booms loudly outside, but when it all dies down and she's left in silence, without the ghosts beside her, the vision is gone and all she sees is an empty room. ''Jesus,'' she moans, putting her head in her hands, attempting to calm down. She's already sick of this.

She's not sure how long she stands there, but eventually she's okay enough to lift her head. Her eyes flicker around the room and she crosses her arms, trying to appear calm and confident. ''Come on,'' her voice is a whisper, tinged with hostility. ''Show yourself.'' She waits a few moments, but he doesn't step out of the shadows. She scoffs in disgust. Coward. This is when she should move on, go to a different room, but for some reason, she remains frozen, staring at the room with her mouth drawn into a thin line.

Just as she's about to turn away and escape, she tenses and goes ramrod straight. There's someone behind her and she's got a pretty good feeling she knows who. She waits stiffly for him to say something, for the inevitable freak out to occur, but it never does. She closes her eyes and lets out a long breath when she realizes he's waiting for her to go first. After a moment, she opens her eyes and smirks, but it's hollow and sad. She doesn't bother to turn around. ''There are lots of different ways to become something like this.'' Her voice is barely above a whisper, but she knows he can hear her. She feels him move a little closer, but he still stays silent. ''It's not always deals and hellhounds and all that jazz,'' she continues. ''Sometimes things just happen. In the moment of greatest betrayal, sometimes all that bitterness and all that anger just....win. And you turn into this.'' She swallows and glances at the ground, shrugging like she's careless. ''Plus, it didn't hurt that I already had demon in me anyway. My grandfather was a demon. I was pretty much a sitting duck, the moment I was betrayed, the darkness was going to take over. And what's a greater betrayal then what _he _did to me.'' She pauses, to let out a short, bitter bark of laugher. ''Having your fiancé stick a knife in your side does things to you. Hell hath no fury, right?'' A small smile dances across her lips, but it's not at all convincing, not at all real. ''I knew you would figure it out.''

''Ruby....'' He whispers, and he sounds so genuinely concerned, it makes her whirl around to make sure it's actually him. It is and there is indeed concern in his eyes, along with sorrow and guilt (what does he have to be guilty for?) and she has to swallow because she can feel the cries rising in her throat again. She is determined to _never _cry. He takes a step towards her, cautious and careful like he's afraid she'll jump away. ''I didn't want it to be you.''

She meets his strong, unwavering gaze and she doesn't know what to say. She feels a little like a wounded animal at the moment, scared and hurting. She doesn't say anything, and he doesn't say anything and she finds she's slightly unnerved by how comfortable this silence is, so she speaks up just to break it. ''Trish,'' she mutters, hoarsely.

He frowns. ''What?''

''Trish Wellington,'' she says. ''That was....That was my name.''

He waits a moment and then takes another step. ''Where did you get Ruby from?''

''It was my mother's middle name. I always thought it was a beautiful name.'' She blinks and tilts her head to the side. ''My mother was a very strong woman. I had always wanted to be like her. I guess taking her middle name just made me believe....I could be like her.''

''What do I call you now?''

''My name,'' she starts. ''Is Ruby. And that's just the way it has to be.''

''Okay, Ruby,'' he heaves a sigh and looks around. ''Did something happen in this room?''

She turns towards him sharply, not at all surprised by his bluntness, just by the question. ''Why would you ask me that?''

He hesitates, she can see it in his eyes, but then he moves forwards, closer to her and she finds herself holding her breath as he reaches out a hand to touch her cheek, fingers softly grazing her skin. She thinks she might see longing flash in his eyes, but it's gone before she can say anything, even though she doesn't know what she would have said. She chooses to ignore the jolt of something powerful and stirring in her gut.

''You were crying,'' he finally says, letting his hand drop away.

She takes a step back, looking back at the room. ''I....'' She pauses and closes her eyes, but that only makes her remember and her eyes snap open instantly. ''Yes...something happened here.'' He doesn't ask any more questions, but she knows he wants to know. This sad, half kind of smile washes over her face and when she glances back towards him; she swears he's looking at her like she's something special. (Except that's insane.) ''I....I put on my wedding dress.'' She frowns and shakes her head. ''It was stupid; I knew I shouldn't have done it. People don't usually take time during a terrifying massacre to try on their wedding dress, but it was....it was so beautiful and all I could think about was what a shame it was that I never got to wear it. Looking back, I guess I was pretty much asking for a tragic death scene.''

''Death is always tragic,'' he says, softly. ''It doesn't matter how old or how young you are, it doesn't matter how you went out, it's always tragic. Because there's always something left behind.''

She shrugs, trying not to think about the heartbreaking beauty and truth to his words. ''Sometimes, life is just as tragic as death.''

The silence comes again, lasting for a moment, but this time it's him who breaks it, voice low and humorless. ''Ruby, I'm....I'm sorry.''

Blinking, she trains her gaze on him, crossing her arms. ''What are you sorry for?''

He laughs, looking down at the ground in what could be mistaken for regret. ''Pretty much everything. Everything that's happened to you, the way I've treated you....I'm just sorry.''

It's her turn to laugh, placing a hand on his arm. ''Dean,'' she meets his gaze, ''even if you had known everything from the start, would it really have changed the way you treated me?''

''It might have,'' he argues, defensively.

''No,'' she says and has the strangest urge to sigh in disappointment. ''It wouldn't have. You're still a hunter and I'm still a demon. That bitterness is always going to be there.'' Just like the loneliness. Hunters and demons are the loneliest beings in the world, she's always known that.

''It doesn't have to be.''

She finds it kind of funny that even when he's trying to be nice and caring, he's still arguing with her. Rolling her eyes, she holds his gaze like it's something she's been doing for years. ''I still don't understand why you care.''

''I care about you.''

She blinks. That was not what she had been expecting him to say. When she asks ''why?'' her voice comes out breathless and that makes her nervous.

His eyes flash with something she easily recognizes, but pretends she doesn't. ''Because.'' He says and that's all he really needs to say.

Their eyes are still locked together and she's becoming increasingly uncomfortable, so when the thunder booms and jolts her back to reality, she decides she needs to get out of there. Muttering a ''whatever'' under her breath like she really doesn't care, she starts past him, but he grabs her arm, spinning her back around to face him. It happens fast, there's really nothing she can do about it, but when blue meets green this time, she knows exactly what's going to happen. They're inching closer, she remembers vividly what happens when you inch closer and she really should be pulling away but the feeling that is slowly taking over is not one bit unpleasant. What startles her the most is that she finds she actually _wants_ this.

But then her bad luck decides to make an appearance and a yell, surprised and slightly pained, echoes through the house. They jump apart like they've been burned. Sense has unfortunately returned. She frowns and slides her gaze to the door. ''Was that....?''

But Dean's already rushing out the door with a panicked shout of, ''Sammy?!''

She takes a breath, forgets about whatever was going to happen, and races after him.

* * *

The first thing they notice when they run into the room is that Sam is clutching at his throat, gasping and it's obvious he cannot breathe. The second thing they notice is the ghost.

''Sam!''

While Dean rushes to his brother's side, just like always, trying to hold up him as he grips his shoulders, Ruby's eyes go to the ghost. He's got his hand outstretched, curled like it's wrapped around someone's throat (yeah, that would be _Sam's_) only he doesn't look angry, but scared and what's he's doing is not an act of aggression, he is simply trying to protect himself from the unfamiliar person. She stands frozen for a moment, guilt crashing down on her at the sight of the man in front of her, but quickly steps forwards, in front of Sam. She thinks about reaching out to the ghost before she realizes he's a _ghost._ ''JD! JD, stop it, it's okay, he's with me! He's okay!''

He loosens his grip, the intensity in his eyes fizzles out and he drops his hand and his hold on Sam. Behind her, Sam falls to the ground, Dean goes with him. She can't quite hear what he's saying to his brother, but she imagines it's somewhere along the lines of, ''It's okay, Sammy, I've got you.'' Because he always says that and he always does.

After sparing a glance over her shoulder to make sure they're both okay, she focuses all of her attention on the ghost, taking a small step forwards. ''JD,'' she begins softly. ''Do you remember me?''

_''Of course I remember you, Trish,''_ he spits out bitterly. _''You're his 'bride'.''_ He uses a quotation gesture around the word bride and she wonders why that hurts a little, but only rolls her eyes. _''You know, if you had just said no this whole damn thing could have been avoided!''_

Yeah. That's when the guilt gives way to anger that comes in rolling, crashing waves and her eyes flash black, effectively scaring him silent as she goes towards him. ''Hey! Don't you think I know that?! I think about that every day of my life!''

_''Damn it, man.''_ The voice is disembodied but familiar and then the air shifts and Sully appears, standing next to JD, his hand on the other ghost's shoulder. _''You have got to back the fuck off. She is here to _help_ us and she's not going to want to help us if you're acting like an ass, now is she?''_

JD scowls, sends Ruby one last resentful glare and then disappears in a wisp of smoke, but his voice calls back through the air, _''You see my brother you send that crazy bastard straight to hell!''_

Dramatic.

_''Great, now he's probably gone off somewhere to pout.''_ Sully shrugs and turns to her with a grin._ ''Sorry about that. He can be a little touchy. As in, like, touched in the head. But, hey! Look at you! You're a blonde. I get to call you blondie now.''_

''I really wish you wouldn't.'' She smiles, but it's sad and distorted.

His eyes lose a little light as he takes a step closer, smile turning gentle. She thinks if she could, she would hug him. _''It's good to see you, Trish. I'm really glad you're okay. I...I wanted you to get out.''_

She has to swallow the lump in her throat. ''Actually, it's Ruby now. My name...it's Ruby.''

_''Ruby,''_ he repeats, mulling it over for a second. _''I like that.''_ He smiles at her again and it's just a second, just a short second, but she really wishes she could be that other person again.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat and she is jolted back to the present. ''Oh!'' As if just remembering she isn't the only living person, she whirls around and reaches out, pulling the Winchesters over to her. ''Sully, this is Dean and Sam Winchester, they're here to help. Boys, this is Sully, he's an old friend.''

_''Hey,''_ Sully grins. _''I'd shake your hands, but I'm afraid I'm at a little bit of a disadvantage. Also, you're both mildly intimidating.''_

''Uh....'' Sam blinks and scratches the back of his neck. ''It's....nice?....to meet you.''

Dean, however, appears to be a little offended. ''Only mildly?''

Ruby looks at him for a minute, trying to determine whether he's joking or not because, honestly, with Dean it can be a little hard to tell at times. Eventually, she gives up and focuses her attention back to Sully. ''So, anyway....uh....'' She pauses, realizing she has no idea what to say. ''....How've you been?'' All three men stare at her like she's lost every semblance of sanity left in her and honestly, she can't blame them. ''Right. Sorry. I meant - ''

_''What the hell's going on?''_

''Yeah.''

Sully lets out a sigh and flops down dramatically in an overstuffed, dusty armchair._ ''Well, let's see. Everything's kind of a mess. You'd think we'd get a little peace in death, right? You'd think we'd be able to move on to our eternal resting place or whatever but no. They're still handing out the torture like Halloween candy. I mean, what the fuck, right?''_

''Why?'' Sam asks. ''What are they doing?''

_''They're killing us.''_ The voice is new, all too familiar and Ruby's eyes are instantly drawn to Danny, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His face is stony and pained; she hates to see him like that._ ''Over and over again,''_ he continues._ ''They kill us just because they can and it doesn't matter how far we run, they always find us. This whole island is cursed and now we're all doomed to spend eternity reliving our deaths.''_

Sully blinks at his friend and his lips curve into an amused smirk. _''Dramatic, dude. Did you practice that little speech?''_

Danny shrugs. _''A little.''_

''But you're ghosts too,'' Dean speaks up, shooting both ghosts in the room a look that tells them he has no time for this. ''Can't ghosts fight other ghosts? Why don't you just pop 'em one.''

_''Riiight,''_ Sully drawls from the chair. _'' 'Cause that would stop two crazy Casper's. Seriously.''_ He arches an eyebrow at Ruby and cocks his head towards Dean._ ''Who is this guy?''_

''Hey,'' Dean snaps. ''Watch it, you Patrick Swayze wannabe.''

_''Do not speak ill of the dead.''_

''For fuck's sake, would you two just shut up?'' She loses her cool, snapping at both of them, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. ''Is this really the time for a macho pissing contest?''

_''Why? Is there something going on between you two?''_

''What?! No!''

''Absolutely not!''

Their hurried denies come at the same time, causing them both to briefly look at each other, but she looks away quickly, clearing her throat. ''Look, we don't have time for this.''

_''Yes!''_ Danny tosses his hands up in the air and pushes off the wall. _''Thank you. Listen, Trish - ''_

''My name is Ruby.''

_''Whatever. You are the only one who can help us.''_

''But why?!'' She bursts out, feeling the pressure behind her eyes build up again. The weight of the world is incredibly heavy on her shoulders and all these people keep telling her she is the only one who can help them. And why her? As if she didn't have enough on her plate already before all this shit. ''Why me? Why am _I_ the only one who can help?!'' Her voice is loud and choked; she hates how vulnerable she sounds. Especially in a room full of men, who at the moment, look as uncomfortable as she feels. ''Why am I so special? I was never special before.''

Sully makes a half hearted attempt to protest, with a remark of, _''That is _not_ true_'' but she ignores it, trying to breathe properly.

Letting out a choked laugh, she runs her fingers through her hair and swallows hard. ''Abby Mills is supposed to be the heroine. I'm just....just...._me_.''

''Abby Mills didn't come back.'' She looks up at Sam; he offers her a small smile and takes a step forwards. ''You did.''

_''Ghosts are incredibly aware of time,''_ Sully says. _''Of how slow is goes by. We all know how long it's been. And so far, you are the only one who has come back.''_

She is silent for a moment, the words hanging thick in the air as she thinks them over. When her eyes start to burn, she pushes it away with ease because she cannot afford to cry in front of them. ''What am I supposed to do?''

_''You're supposed to be strong,''_ Danny says, softly.

''No,'' Dean decides to chime in, frustration lining his voice as he stares at her with those damn green eyes that feel like they're cutting right though her. ''You're supposed to quit bellyaching and pull yourself together. For God's sake, woman, you are a_ demon_! Start acting like one!'' With each word he says, he takes a step towards her until he can reach out and grip her arms.

Each of his words hit her like a physical blow, each one brings another one of those rolling, crashing waves of anger down upon her and when he grabs her arms, it's the last straw. ''Don't call me _woman_,'' she snarls out, glaring at him like he's Lucifer himself. She wrenches her arms free, curls her hand into a fist and punches the elder Winchester across the face before she can talk herself out of it.

The one punch is enough to send Dean to the ground and beside his fallen brother; Sam rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. ''Yeah, well,'' he huffs, ''can't say you didn't deserve that one.''

Sully's eyebrows shoot up. _''Definitely something going on between you two.''_

''Huh,'' Dean grunts, back on his feet, rubbing his aching jaw. ''Now we're getting somewhere.''

She shoots him a black eyed glare for just a moment and swears he actually smiles at her. There isn't time to think about their moment of violence, it's rudely brought to a screeching halt when the sound of doors and windows slamming shut sounds throughout the inn, even though all of the doors and windows are already closed.

_''No,''_ Danny breathes, pure fear flickering across his features._ ''Oh no. They're here.''_ He sends one last pleading glance at Ruby and then he's gone, disappearing from sight.

She doesn't blame him; some part of her still wants to run too.

Thunder booms outside, earning a groan from Dean. ''I have had it up to _here_ with creepy thunderstorms and ghosts.''

Anxiously, she ignores the stupid comment and slides her gaze to Sully, who's still sitting in the chair, looking as careless as ever. She's not stupid though, she can see the fear in his eyes. ''What are you still doing here? You need to go, get out of here. We can handle this.''

Stubbornly, he shakes his head and gets to his feet. _''You think I'm going to leave you? Are you insane or something, blondie?''_

She opens her mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a frustrated screech. Gaze moving to the Winchesters, she only hopes they'll at least listen to her. ''I want you two to go check upstairs. Do not split up, do you understand me?''

''We're not leaving you alone, Ruby.''

She tosses her hands up into the air, exasperated. God, what the hell? All these guys wanting to protect her (and she doesn't find it the least bit attractive if that's what they're going for) it's getting annoying. She should be the one protecting them. Plastering a sneer on her face, she takes a step and tries to make her voice sound downright cruel. ''Listen to me, you stupid idiots,'' she hisses out. ''It's the big league, _boys._ Me,'' she points to herself. ''Demon. You,'' she points to them. ''Humans. Out of all of us, including ghost boy over there, who are the two most likely to _die_?''

''She has a point,'' Sam concedes.

Dean sighs heavily and hands her a gun. ''At least take this.''

_''A gun?''_ Sully asks, incredulously, staring after them._ ''Dude, they're ghosts! How is a gun going to hurt a ghost? Man, some help you are.''_

''Sully,'' Ruby mutters, ''the guns filled with rock salt.''

_''And that makes it less crazy how?''_

''Salt hurts ghosts. Slows 'em down.''

_''Oh,''_ he smiles sheepishly and calls out a ''_Sorry!''_ But only gets an incredibly rude hand gesture from Dean that makes him laugh. _''I like him.''_

''Sully, I need you to listen to me, okay?'' She won't ever admit it, but....she's feeling pretty damn terrified right now too. Worried, anxious, panicky. She's not worried about herself, she stopped worrying about herself a long time ago, she's just worried about everyone else. Her ghosts included.

He's looking at her with that look on his face that makes her heart hurt a little bit. He looks so _worried _for her, so concerned about her safety when _he_ is the target. _''I am not leaving you alone with him again.''_

''Christopher Sullivan,'' she speaks with all of the feeling she's bottled up inside, eyes skirting over her shoulders because she swears she hears footsteps. ''You need to stop trying so hard to be a hero, okay? You already are one. These ghosts, they're after you, and I cannot let you get hurt again. Any of you. Don't you understand that? If you want my help, you have to_ let me help_. Please....just get out of here.''

_''If they see you they're going to go after you with everything they have.''_

Yeah, she thinks about that for a second and the adrenaline pumps through her veins like a drug. ''That's what I'm counting on.''

_''Ruby, I don't like this.''_

''You don't have to like it; you just have to _do it_. I need you to be safe. Away from here.'' He doesn't want to listen to her, that much is obvious, but he's going to. If he doesn't, she'll threaten to shoot him. ''Please,'' she whispers and that's when she meets his gaze.

So, with a sigh and roll of his eyes, he listens and mutters out a _''Fine.'' _She lets out a relieved breath. _''Be careful,''_ he warns, turning to leave.

She watches him start to walk away, and she's not sure what makes her do it; she figures it's that woman in the white dress inside of her. ''Sully!''

He stops and turns, sending her one last grin. She doesn't say anything, neither does he, but words aren't really needed anymore._ ''Yeah,''_ he whispers, giving her the smallest of nods. _''I know that, Trish. But it doesn't matter anymore.''_ As he turns away from her, he fades from sight all together, leaving her all alone. Her words are left unspoken, sadness clouds her eyes and she has to swallow the aching in her throat.

_I wish I could have saved you...._

* * *

As the thunder booms outside and gray clouds take the stars hostage, he watches from inside the shadows of the Candlewick inn. Those annoying men are poking and prodding upstairs, but he only has eyes for her. She shouldn't be here, she should have stayed away. Actually, what she should have done was die when he killed her. The stupid little bitch. Good for nothing. Doesn't even die when he wants her to.

Well, tonight is going to be different, tonight he's going to do what should have been done long ago. Finish what he started. This time, he vows as his eyes move to the staircase, where the Winchester's have disappeared. This time, she's going to feel it.

He's going to make her feel it.

* * *

She loathes guns with a passion. They're insipid. She likes knives better (which is, like, whoa irony....) preferably if it's her knife. Which she _does not_ have at the moment. Not like it would do any real good, mind you. But guns....guns are too unpredictable, too heavy, too loud, too complicated. Unfortunately for her, it's all she's got.

Moving like smoke through the darkened house, her (stupid) gun is at the ready and she is extremely on edge because she keeps hearing footsteps and they're creeping the hell out of her. They're not coming from upstairs, so she knows it's not just the creaky old floor, they're coming from behind her. Only there is no one there. Even when she whirls around, the footsteps continue. She knows someone is there, she just can't decipher who.

Her heart is beating, adrenaline is making her feel anxious and jittery and she is just _itching _to fight. Which is why, when she steps into the kitchen, all darkened and spooky, and she turns around and sees him, all she can do is smirk. ''Oh, hey. It's you.'' And then she levels the gun at his chest.

He smirks and advances on her, unconcerned with the gun pointed at his chest.

She sneers at him, tilting her head to the side. ''You kind of tossed me off a cliff, John. Which was rude, that's true. But you also happened to kill a bunch of people. People I knew, people I _cared_ about. So, I'm thinking if I send you straight to hell, there won't be much love lost between us, am I right?''

He cocks his head and frowns. _''Trish Wellington,''_ he says her name (her _old_ name) in his low, gravelly voice that makes her shudder. _''You talk too much.''_

''You know,'' she grins. ''You're right.'' Without a moment of hesitation (why would she hesitate?) she pulls the trigger and.....watches as nothing happens.

Remember that whole thing about her hating guns because they're unpredictable? Well, who would have predicted the gun would jam? It doesn't help that she seems to have natural bad luck. ''Um....'' She lets out a nervous laugh and takes a step away from him when he takes a step towards her. ''Uh....oh.'' Stupid gun.

So, she does that whole running thing again.

She doesn't get very far, only to the doorway before he appears in front of her and in the next instant she's sailing through the air. She hits the wall hard. Hard enough to crack it. She lands hard on the floor, biting back a moan of pain. But when she goes to get up, she finds he's hovering over her, pinning her to the ground with his hands. She knows that whole thing about ghosts and how they can touch things if they really, really want to, but what she doesn't know is why he wants _her_. She struggles, but he's strong, his hands locking around her wrists, pinning her arms above her head. ''Get off of me, you sick freak!''

_''Shut up,''_ he hisses impatiently. _''And listen to me.''_

''No! Let go of me!''

_''I don't want to hurt you.''_

''You're lying! You're a murderer, of course you want to hurt me!''

_''I need your help!''_ He bursts out and she freezes. She stops struggling, too shocked to fight back and he lets go of her, standing and brushing off his clothes.

He needs her _what now?_ Regaining control of her breathing, she pushes herself against the wall, rubbing at her sore wrists. She had to have heard him wrong. ''You're....You're kidding me, right?''

He doesn't look at all happy, not that he ever does, but he doesn't look as murderous and animalistic as usual either, so for a second, she thinks he might mean it._ ''No,''_ he says gruffly, and she has no idea what to say.

Oh, wait. Yes, she does. ''Why the fuck would I help you? You're a _killer_.''

_''Look,''_ he says, sneering down at her. _''I don't give a rat's ass about you, Wellington. I don't care if you live or die, I don't care about those boys upstairs, I don't even care about your stupid friends. They're not my problem anymore. I killed them. They're merely annoyances to me now. But there is someone I want. And I need your help to get to him.''_

Slowly and carefully (and a little painfully) she rises to her feet, shaking off the aching in her body. ''And who is it that you want?''

He smiles, actually smiles and it's....well, it's really frightening. It's a demented smile, primal and bloodthirsty. _''Trish,''_ he starts. _''May I call you Trish?''_

''No. My name is Ruby.''

_''See, the thing is, Trish, my son was a bitter disappointment. I already know I'm going to hell, I've always known that. But I am not going anywhere until I can wrap my hands around his neck and drag him down with me. Do you understand?''_ His voice is intense and passionate and gives her chills. The not so pleasant kind.

Somewhat nervously, she moves forwards, just to see if he'll let her. He doesn't lunge, simply lets her move, his hold on her is gone and she's free to run anytime she likes. With a start, she realizes he wants her to _trust_ him. Holy crap, how fucked is this scenario? ''So,'' she thinks her voice sounds too strained, too ragged and soft, so she clears her throat and hardens her eyes. ''What exactly do you want me to do?''

His eyes are endless and blank, it's a terrifying look and the coldness emanating from his ghostly form only makes him seem more evil._ ''I want you to bring him to me.''_

''You threw me off a cliff.''

_''I was surprised to see you alive.''_

''Why would I do anything for you?''

_''Because you want him to suffer just as much as I do.''_

Pressing her lips together, she tries to calm herself down as she moves past him to pick up the discarded gun on the floor, making sure one eye is always trained on him. ''My friends,'' she starts, ''they say you've been torturing them. Are they wrong?''

He doesn't answer for a second, looks at her with that empty gaze and then shrugs carelessly, like it doesn't matter. _''No. They're not wrong.''_ He grins and meets her eyes. _''Had to pass the time somehow.''_

She thinks of all of the ways he's been torturing them, killing his victims over and over again just because he can, and she has to look away from him, sure if she continues to look into his empty eyes she's going to throw up. ''You,'' she begins, in a voice that trembles and shakes with rage and grief. ''Are a sick, twisted, sadistic creep and I wouldn't help you if my life depended on it.''

He laughs, it echoes unnaturally, bouncing off the walls in a way that cannot possibly be human. She actually has to take a step backwards, her grip on the gun tightening. _''Oh, little girl.''_ He shakes his head like he's disappointed._ ''It's not your life on the line.''_ His eyes stray to the ceiling and she gets this horrible feeling, awful and black, like something is crawling inside of her. _''It's theirs.''_

Panic makes a brief appearance but the anger quickly kicks it away as her eyes turn onyx. ''You stay away from them, you jackass!''

_''Neat trick,''_ he drawls. _''But I'm not going to touch them.''_ A grin covers his lips, dry and humorless. _''He is.''_

As if on cue, there's a loud thud from upstairs and her heart leaps into her throat. Oh no. Not them. He can't have them! Dread taking over, she doesn't even bother to push away her startled gasp as she turns and races out the door.

_''I know you'll help me, Trish!''_ He calls after her, but she can barely hear them.

There are more thumps and thuds coming from upstairs and her heart is beating so fast she's actually afraid it will stop all together as she runs up the stairs. There's no need to spend any time wondering what room they're in because - _duh._ What other room would they be in? Yes, there they are. Dean is slumped against the wall, looking slightly dazed and very angry. Sam is on the other side of the room, pushing himself to his feet. But all she can see is the figure standing in the middle of the room. It's just a swirling black mass of energy with an outstretched hand, there is no face, no real human characteristics, save the slightly out of place hand, but she knows it's him.

What shocks her the most is the way she feels. The adrenaline has taken over, pushing everything else away. All she feels is an extraordinarily strong anger. ''Hey!'' The black shadow turns to her and she smirks, tilting her head to the side. ''Hi, honey,'' she greets, casually. ''I'm home.''

It seems everything in the room stops for just one second, literally stopping cold, before the world returns with a swish and then everything speeds up. The shadow curls it's hand into a fist and then opens its hand fast, sending a wave of power her way. A year ago, she climbed out the window to get to safety, somewhere away from here, in present time, it goes a little differently. When all she wants to do is stay, she is thrown backwards by a strong ghost's power and there is absolutely nothing she can do to stop herself from crashing out the window.

Smashing through the glass, the cold air hits her hard, the wind hisses in her ear and she falls.

* * *

Dean can't do anything but watch her fall. It's not like the cliff, he can't jump after her, he can't catch her. You know what he can do? He can send this crazy ghost dude packing.

Groaning, he stumbles to unsteady feet, his grip on the gun tight and desperate. A smirk flickers across his face, his eyes locked on the swirling black shadow man in front of him. ''Now, don't you know how to treat a lady?'' He drawls, because he simply can't resist saying _something._

''Dean!'' Sam's voice says, urgent and fast, as he clutches his own gun and cradles his possibly sprained arm. ''I know who it is! It's - ''

But that's when the shadow decides Sam is an annoyance it can't be bothered with and the next thing Dean knows, his brother is being carelessly tossed out of the room and the door is being slammed shut, the lock turning instantly. Oh, hell no. Nobody touches his Sam. ''Hey!'' He pulls the trigger, but the ghost moves out of the way and the rock salt shatters a dusty old lamp instead. The black has disappeared and Dean is left in silence, rigid and on guard. Gun at the ready, he whirls around, but only sees an empty room.

Frowning, he starts towards the door to get to Sam. That's when it happens. There's a gust of wind, unseen hands rip the gun from his hands and in the next instant, he's up against the wall, held in place by a ghost's magic. Ugh. Aggravating.

Only it's not just a swirling black mass of energy this time, it's the ghost of a young man, eyes gleeful and excited and Dean knows exactly who this is. The man blinks and looks at him with a small smirk, taking a step forwards. _''Hello, Dean.''_

Dean struggles, but it gets him nowhere, so he glares instead. ''You want to go, kid?'' He threatens. ''Let's go.''

The ghost's smirk widens into a smile, and he takes another step._ ''Okay,''_ he says, _''let's.''_

And then he lunges.

* * *

It doesn't last very long, but Sam is certain his heart stops beating and he stops breathing.

''Dean!'' He pounds on the door a couple times, tries the doorknob three times, but when he hears the shot go off inside, he loses all patience. It all goes silent inside the room and he hates that because silence is rarely a good sign. ''Dean!'' His thoughts are all jumbled and panicked and all he knows is that he has to get to his brother.

Without thinking twice, he throws all of his weight into the door and practically falls inside. The sight of Dean, unconscious on the floor does little to comfort him, but at least he's breathing again as he drops to his brother's side. ''Dean....Dean, come on, man, wake up, we have to get to Ruby.'' He slaps his brother's cheek gently and Dean's eyelids flutter, a groan escaping his lips. ''Dean....'' Sam's voice sounds breathless; a huge sigh of relief escapes his lips. Thank God, he's okay.

Slowly, Dean opens his eyes, looking at the ceiling. A moment passes and then he gasps sharply, bolting upright.

''Whoa.'' Sam's hands come to rest on Dean's shoulders as he sends him a grateful smile. ''Dean, relax, it's okay. You're okay.''

''I'm....okay,'' Dean repeats slowly, looking down at himself like he's checking for injuries. ''Yeah.'' He clenches his hands into fists and unclenches them and Sam takes his smile as a smile of relief. ''I am.''

''Come on,'' Sam hauls Dean to his feet, ignoring the strange feeling starting in the pit of his stomach. ''We've gotta go get Ruby.''

''Right,'' Dean says with a nod, lifting his eyes. ''Ruby.''

Sam blinks, grabs Dean's wrist and drags him out of the room and down the hall.

There is a mirror in the hall, but Sam's too focused on Ruby to notice that when Dean looks at it, the mirror cracks.

* * *

Ruby has to lie very still for a moment after landing. The pain shooting up and down her body is incredibly intense, like a thousand pins and needles, but damn, is she ever lucky she's a demon. Stifling a moan, she closes her eyes and moves a hand to her pounding head. She knows she should be racing back inside but....but...._ow._ He threw her out a window. He threw her out a fucking window! What the hell? First a cliff, now a window? Christ. Today is just not her day.

Eventually, she groans and rolls over, standing on slightly shaky legs. She can smell blood in the air though and when she looks down at herself, she realizes it's hers. For a few painful moments, she spends her time carefully picking glass out of her flesh. Pieces in her hands, one in her leg and a big one sticking unnaturally out of her back. Oh, damn. ''I liked this jacket,'' she grumbles as she slowly pulls it out, wincing and hissing in pain.

Yeah. She is definitely lucky she's a demon. Otherwise, she'd be a little bit dead. Sighing, she shakes the remaining pieces from her hair and clothes before starting towards the inn, limping slightly.

_''Psst.''_ The voice startles her and she jumps in surprise, whirling around, eyes searching for the body to go along with the voice. Nothing. _''Trish....''_ She hears and she has to force herself not to sigh. She turns slowly and jumps backwards, swallowing a noise halfway between a gasp and a scream. Katherine Wellington is standing in front of her, pale and frightened. _''Trish,''_ she says again, eyes wide. _''He's coming.''_

''What? Who? Who's coming?''

But Katherine doesn't answer, instead she looks over her shoulder like someone's coming for her and before Ruby can stop her, she's disappeared from sight, sending one last terrified, pleading glance towards Ruby.

''Ruby!'' Sam's voice calls out through the night and she lets out a breath. He sounds like he's okay. Good. At least she hasn't gotten more people killed. ''Ruby!''

''Here! I'm here!'' She rushes forwards just in time to see the Winchester boys appear. While Sam's rushing quickly towards her, Dean's following at a slower pace and she feels this strange kind of relief that feels much different than the relief she feels at the sight of the younger Winchester. This kind of relief feels like it could go hand in hand with the tingly feeling.

Before she can contemplate this more, Sam's arms are around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. ''Jesus, Ruby,'' he sighs against her hair. ''Don't scare us like that.''

She laughs, but let's herself hug him back. (It feels nice.) ''Sorry.''

''Are you okay?''

She nods. ''Yeah, I'm fine.''

He shakes his head like he doesn't believe her, pulling away. But she doesn't mind, she thinks it's nice someone's so worried about her. ''You're bleeding,'' he says softly and that's when she sees that he's got her blood on his hands.

''Oh, yeah. Glass.'' She shrugs it off. ''Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Are you two okay?'' She looks at Dean, but he's not looking at her. Actually, from where she's standing he almost looks sort of....angry. ''Dean? Are you....all right?''

''I'm fine,'' he says stiffly and when he looks at her, he's got this look in his eyes that just doesn't exactly look right.

She frowns and does not like it one bit. ''O...kay.'' She blinks and shrugs it off, turning her eyes to Sam. ''We have to get back in there. We have to find him before he hurts anybody else.''

Much to her surprise (and Sam's for that matter) Dean laughs. Something about it sounds biting and cruel, she shivers and tells herself that's just the cold night air, the clouds in the sky that threaten rain and the distant sound of thunder. ''Why?'' He asks. ''They're just ghosts. Do they really matter?''

''Dean.'' Sam's voice holds an edge; his eyes are narrowed in warning.

''What?'' Dean snaps, defensively. ''These people are dead, they don't mean anything anymore.''

What's wrong with him? He isn't acting like Dean at all. What the hell happened in that house? ''They mean something to me,'' Ruby growls, trying her best not to let her emotions show. ''They're my friends, they're my _family._ They mean everything.''

''Do they?'' He challenges, cocking his head to the side in a movement so un-Dean like it makes her head swim in confusion. ''Do they really mean something, Trish? Did they _ever_ really mean anything to you? I mean, come on,'' he laughs. ''You were a spoiled princess who only cared about herself.''

''Dean!'' Sam bursts out, voice defensive. ''What the hell is wrong with you?''

''You don't know anything!'' She screeches this close to clawing at him and throwing a tantrum fit for a Wellington. ''You don't know anything about me! And....wait....did you just call me Trish?''

''Look,'' he says calmly. ''You want to waste your time trying to save people who can't be saved? Fine, see if I care, but I'm not wasting my precious time. I have much better things to do.'' With a shake of his head, he pushes past them, leaving them to stare after him.

''Why are you acting like this?'' She asks, and she hates the betrayal and hurt in her voice. She can't believe she actually thought...No.

''What's gotten into you, Dean?'' Sam calls out.

Dean sighs and shrugs. ''I'm just telling the truth.''

It's the sigh that gets her. It's a sound she recognizes. It's not Dean's sigh, it's not. She remembers that sigh; it's the sound from a nightmare. _Her_ nightmare. The nightmare with blood and knives and betrayal. Wedding dresses and crawling in the dirt and - ''Oh no.'' She reaches out, her fingernails digging into Sam's arm as she pulls him back.

Ohpleasegodnonothim.

''Ruby?''

That would be when she completely and totally fucking loses it. There is paralyzing terror rising in her throat and she's learning just how quickly tears can come, bringing along with them sobs that get lost somewhere in her throat as she cries out through the night and the thunder. ''It's not him! Sam, that's not him! That's not Dean!''

'Dean' stops in his tracks and she can practically feel him tremble in excitement in that sick, perverted way he did just before he stuck the knife in her.

Roughly, she pushes Sam and his wide, shocked eyes away and takes a step towards the other, much more dangerous man, her voice coming out breathy and shaky. ''Henry?''

He turns, smiles at her and that's when she knows for sure Dean isn't home anymore. ''Hey, baby,'' he says and she has to swallow hard because _Henry Dunn _is never allowed to be _Dean Winchester_. ''Love the hair.''

And everything goes dark.

* * *

When she opens her eyes, she is incredibly aware of three things.

One: The ground she is sitting on is cold and damp.

Two: There are drops of rain falling slowly, landing on her skin and clothes.

Three: Her hands are tied.

Son of a bitch. He actually_ knocked her out_. How the _hell _did he manage to do that? With a barely audible groan, she shifts on the ground and makes a half hearted attempt to get to her feet but it's not so easy with her hands tied in front of her. Finally, she gives up, letting herself sink onto the ground. Blue eyes search the woods for a familiar face but for the moment she's all alone. No Sam, no Dean, no - wait. Dean. Oh, god, _Dean_. Her throat constricts with guilt and anger and all that comes to mind is that it's her fault. What's happening right now to Dean....it's all her fault.

''Finally!'' A voice speaks up, cheerful and excited and she watches as he steps out from the trees, his green eyes no longer shining with warmth. They're only cold and dead and she has to gulp down the urge to scream. ''I thought you were going to sleep the night away!''

She opens her mouth to yell at him, to curse and snarl, but clamps it shut instead fearing he'll retaliate by doing something to Dean. Instead, she looks around the trees for the other Winchester. When she doesn't see him, the unwelcome feeling of panic quickly returns. ''Where's Sam?'' She struggles against the ropes. ''What did you do to him?'' Oh, no, what if he's....?

It's not like he minded taking everything away from her before. Why would he mind now?

''Where is he?!''

''Relax.'' He rolls his eyes and circles her slowly; looking down at her like she's the most pathetic thing he's ever seen. ''He's back at the inn. I didn't need him.''

But even that only brings her a small sense of relief as she finally manages to rise to her feet, somewhat shakily. Thunder cracks and the raindrops start to fall a little faster, icy drops that land on her skin and make her shiver in the night air. ''And Dean? Where's he?''

He shrugs and taps his (_not_ his) temple. ''He's right here, he's just not driving. He's extremely loud, though. Yelling, cursing. Know what he's doing right now?'' With a smirk, he stops in front of her and clears his throat like he's getting ready to re-enact _Hamlet_. ''Get away from her, you sick son of a bitch! You take one more step and I'm - ''

''Stop!'' Her voice is high and shrill, she wants it to sound angry but all she can hear in the tone of her voice is fear and panic. ''Stop trying to be him! You'll never be him.''

''Honey, I don't want to be him. I want to be _me_. You know,'' he laughs; it echoes, she cringes. ''I think this Dean guy actually cares about you. After all, Trish, you do make this body tingle.''

And for just a second, she feels heat creep up in her cheeks. But this is so not the time to be acting like a schoolgirl and her name from his lips (_so not _his) sounds like something horrid and ugly. ''My name is Ruby.''

''Damn.'' He puts his hands on his hips (she has to keep reminding herself that this is _not _Dean) and shakes his head. ''You've gotten quite feisty, haven't you?''

''Believe me, Henry,'' she spits out and this time when her voice shakes it's only with rage. ''You have no idea _what_ I am capable of.''

''Yeah? What are you going to do? Whine me to death?'' He sighs again, that same stupidpatheticdickheadsounding sigh from before. ''Honestly, Patricia, can we try to be adults this time?''

She swallows, back against the tree looking like a terrified, helpless damsel in distress. ''This time?''

''Yes,'' he says simply, wolfish grin taking over. ''Last time you got entirely too emotional and quite frankly, annoying. Seriously, princess, you are a really whiny girl, has anyone ever told you that? You were always 'wah, wah, wah, poor, poor me.' Oh, yeah, you had a real hard knock life, you and your Daddy Warbucks. God. Do you know how many times I almost killed you before the wedding?'' He laughs again and looks at her like he truly believes they are simply sharing old memories. Like he is not trying to make her break and shatter into all those tiny pieces she has been working to pick up for the past year. ''All of those pathetic Wellington tantrums,'' he continues. ''They were getting on my nerves.''

The tears well in her eyes and she desperately attempts to keep them from falling. He doesn't deserve her tears ever again. But....he's saying all of these horrible things and they're coming out of _Dean's _mouth and it's not fair. She shouldn't have come back, she can't save them, she can't even save herself. ''You...You bastard.'' The words come out in a whisper, sounding of hatred and heartache. She closes her eyes; breathing becoming something she actually has to remind herself to do.

''Oh,'' he says and she can hear him getting closer and closer, like he's some kind of monster. ''Now, do you remember the last time you called me that?''

She squeezes her eyes shut tighter and bites down on her lip. She doesn't want to remember.

''It was right here, in this spot.''

Her eyes fly open and her eyes dart wildly around the woods. That's why it seemed so familiar, this is where _IT _happened. Of course it is. He'll do anything to torture her. She should have known.

''You were angry.'' His voice is soft and he's close enough to touch, his hand reaching out to softly caress her cheek. She jerks away from his touch like it burns. (There's a small part of her that thinks it should.) ''You were screaming at me, ''you killed them, you killed my father!'' I was just trying to explain, you see, I wanted you to understand before I killed you. My brother, he was right, it _was_ all about Abby. Hey.'' When she looks away from him, he grabs her face, too gentle to be the killer that he is. ''Hey, listen, did I ever tell you how beautiful you looked in that dress?''

She cries harder, a few sobs escaping her lips and her legs start to go weak. What is she doing? She is supposed to be _stronger_ than him this time around. He isn't supposed to be able to do this to her anymore.

''But,'' he says. ''You looked even more beautiful when you finally _shut the fuck up_.''

Uh....yeah.

Later he'll look back and realize that probably wasn't the smartest thing he could have said. Her eyes harden and she pushes at his chest with her bound hands as hard as she can. ''Shut_ up_! Shut up, shut up, shut up!'' Stumbling away from him, she briefly wonders why she's not running but....she'll be damned if she lets him get to anyone else. ''Henry,'' she growls. ''You want to kill me, you do that. See if I care, I know where I'm going. But you listen to me, I swear on everything that I am and everything I was that I will take you down with me, whether you're possessing a Winchester or not. At least then I'll get to watch you get what you deserve. Do you know what hell is?'' She laughs, it's bitter and sharp. ''I'd like to watch your skin get peeled off piece by piece, I'd like to watch every bit of you get torn away by something evil and vicious! I would _love_ to watch you _burn_!''

His eyes flash with something feral and monster like and she just knows she has struck a nerve. Growling, he lunges for her, grips her waist tightly and presses her into a tree with careless rage. She struggles fruitlessly, but he's using the body's strength to his advantage and her hands are tied, rendering her nearly helpless. ''There are lots of ways to burn, Trish,'' he murmurs with a monstrous gleam in his eyes. And then he crashes Dean's lips onto hers.

He just does it to make her squirm, she can tell. He's just doing it to get under her skin, make her cry and beg for him to stop. She knows that. But it's still unnerving. She fights back, at least tries to, but he's stronger than her and all she can think about is how she doesn't want it to happen like this.

He pulls away from her, hand curling around her neck tightly. ''Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that.''

''Get. Away. From. Me.''

Shrugging, he steps backwards, letting her go and she goes crashing to the ground, her knees digging into the damp earth. Smiling down at her with that awful, cruel smile, he crosses his arms and cocks his head to the side. ''You care about him too. I can see it in your eyes.'' When she looks away from him, his smile widens and he takes a step towards her. ''You know, he may not be in control but this is still his body. Do you think you would ever be able to look at him the same if his body was the body that pressed you against the dirt and stole every last shred of your fractured pride?''

Horror crashes down upon her at the knowledge of what he wants to do and then, for the second time in her life, she's crawling in the dirt to get away from Henry Dunn.

He laughs, the sound taunting and barbarous. ''Ah, ah, ah,'' his fingers grab her leg, pulling her roughly back to him. ''Don't ruin my fun, _Trish_.''

And then he's on top of her and now the rain is really falling and the thunder is getting louder and louder and rough hands are trying to rip off her clothes. It's just a brief second, but all she can think is that even all of those times Dean has been rough and callous with her, his hands have never felt like this before. Because it's _not. Him. _Lips are on her neck and the rain is getting in her eyes, but she doesn't care. She knows she could fight him, she knows she's strong. If only her hands weren't tied. Struggling and trying unsuccessfully to kick at him, she is left underneath a heavy body to beg. Hands that should be soft and gentle are scratching up her shirt, the touches burn her skin and that's when she knows she needs help.

''Dean....'' His name escapes her lips in a breathless whisper, but she swallows hard and speaks again, louder this time, pleading and desperate. ''Dean! Dean, please, if you can hear me I need you to stop him! Fight him! You're stronger than him!''

''Would you shut up?!'' He growls at her, the impatience sounding spiteful and wicked.

''Dean!'' It's her last ditch effort, an urgent scream and she can only hope he can hear her. ''Help me!''

His body tenses and goes rigid and then he's throwing himself off her, moving as far away from her as possible. Green eyes that have turned cold and beastly are suddenly warm and horrified. ''Ruby....''

She has never been so relieved to see Dean Winchester before.

''Ruby,'' he says her name again, his voice is agonized and regretful. She wants to take the time to tell him it's okay, it wasn't him but Henry could come back at any moment. His hands are gentle as he pulls her to her feet. ''Oh, god...I didn't....He...Are you okay?''

''I-I'm fine. Dean, we have to - '' She breaks off suddenly with a startled shriek when his hands grip her shoulders painfully.

''Ruby, he's still _here!_ I can....I can...feel him.'' He looks at her with eyes that are slowly changing, bringing her terror to the surface. ''Oh,'' he whispers, ''he _really_ doesn't like you.''

Then he snarls angrily and it's not Dean anymore as he roughly shoves her to the ground and whirls away from her. ''What are you doing?'' Henry bites out. ''You're ruining everything.''

''I won't let you hurt her,'' Dean declares, taking back control momentarily as he whips around to face her, eyes practically begging her to run. ''Ruby, _please_.....go.''

She shakes her head, pushing herself onto her knees. ''I can't do that.''

''You don't understand! The things he wants to do to you....I can't let him.''

But then he turns away from her again and his voice comes out low and dangerous and decidedly _not _Dean. ''You don't have a choice, loverboy!''

There's a pause that seems to go on forever, he's silent breathing heavily and she feels like if she moves, he's going to turn and lunge at her. Slowly, he turns and honestly, she has no idea who she's looking at because his eyes are so hollow and desolate. In an instant, before she can stop him, he's pulled something out of his jacket that gleams in the moonlight.

''No!'' She screams out, rising to her unsteady feet. ''Don't!''

''I can't let him hurt you!'' Dean yells. His eyes meet hers and...for a second she swears he's trying to tell her something but she can't quite figure it out.

Seconds before he does something stupid, thoughtless, and unbelievably _Winchester_ like, Henry comes back. ''Sam!'' He shouts, stopping Dean instantly. He sounds aggravated but she thinks she can detect a small bit of fear in his voice. Well, sure. With Dean gone, he won't have a physical body anymore. But then he keeps talking and his voice is calm, collected and utterly terrifying. ''If you kill yourself, I'll take Sam. I'll take his body, claim it as my own, kill your _girlfriend_ and I'll make Sam do it.''

The knife clatters to the ground and Dean's eyes search for hers, green irises practically screaming with words left unsaid and broken apologies he can't manage to get out. ''Ruby,'' he whispers before he collapses to the ground.

''Dean!'' She rushes forwards before she can stop herself, making a move to touch his face. ''Dean....'' She whispers again, the apology bubbling in her throat. This is her fault, this is _all_ her fault.

His eyes snap open, startling her and a strong hand locks around her wrist. ''Wrong.''

And she can't do anything but take the hit. She goes crashing backwards at the force of the punch, but he reaches out and grabs onto her before she can fall, shoving her into a tree and she can practically see the twisted pleasure in his eyes as she falls to the ground. ''Man!'' He shakes his head like he's trying to shake Dean away. ''That guy is going to get _irritating!_''

''Henry....'' Now she's begging, slumped to the ground, staring up at a Winchester who isn't a Winchester through the tears that are quickly blinding her. ''Henry, please...please just let Dean go, I'm the one you want.''

''Oh, Trish,'' he sneers down at her, towering over her like some kind of nightmarish hell creature. ''Trish, Trish, Trish. Baby, don't you know? I _never _wanted _you_.''

It's all this time later but for some reason that still hurts; she visibly flinches at the words.

He shrugs nonchalantly, that same excitement dancing in eyes that are not his own. ''You were only a toy, baby. That is all you _ever_ were. Although, it _was_ fun to make you fall so hard for me and then pull the rug out from under you. I had you in the palm of my hand.'' He flexes a hand in front of him, rain rolls down the outstretched hand. ''And then I crushed you.'' His hand curls into a fist and she feels like she can't breathe. ''I thought you were going to be one of the hardest kills and honestly? You were. But killing you....I'd have to say it was one of the highlights.''

She can feel her stomach churning horribly at his words; her body is shivering violently in the harshly cold rain falling from the darkened October sky. This....This is why she didn't want to come back. All of those skeletons in her closet, they're falling out the door and she can remember all of these things about Henry and Trish and how much she _loved him. _She's glad it's raining, the rain hides the warm tears she can feel dripping down her cheeks. ''Why are you doing this?!''

''Because!'' He thunders. ''You were never supposed to get away!''

''You're lying!'' She cries, feeling the cold rain splatter onto her skin, her back pressing painfully against the hard tree. ''You don't care about me, Henry, you never did! I want you to tell me right now why you're doing this to us! What do you want?!''

He's silent for a moment, head tilted to the side and he appears to be studying her closely. After the time passes and the sound of the storm jolts him back to reality, he smiles. It's beastly and unreal somehow as he takes a step forwards. ''You're right,'' he says quietly and she can barely hear him over the pounding rain. ''I do want something other than your pain.''

''And what's that?''

''Oh, now, I think you already know, Trish. Think about it; what have I always wanted?''

Her heart stops for just a second and she sighs heavily, closing her eyes. Again; she should have known. ''Abby,'' she whispers and she has to wonder why her voice sounds so lost, broken and betrayed. She doesn't care about him. Not anymore. So, why does it still hurt? ''You want Abby.''

He gasps overdramatically and snaps his fingers. ''Bingo.'' Sending her a lopsided grin he takes a small step closer. ''Give the girl a prize.'' That's when he sobers, crossing his arms. ''You get her here and I'll let Dean go.''

Her eyes widen slightly and something a lot like hope races through her veins, her knees digging into the mud. ''You...You will?''

''Sure, why not? I don't think Dean is Abby's type anyways.''

''Didn't Abby sort of....kill you?''

''She was surprised!'' He says defensively. ''Besides, I blame the fisherman for that. With him out of the way, I will be all she has.''

''You mean you're going to....kill him?''

He shoots her a look. ''What do you think?''

''But you'll let Dean go?''

''I will.''

She swallows down the shame that rises in her throat at the knowledge that she is actually considering his offer. Abby and Jimmy are innocent, they don't deserve that, but...but if this saves Dean....maybe....maybe.... ''You'll have to possess someone else, you know.'' She slowly and calmly rises to her feet, using the tree as leverage. She's looking at him carefully, her heart pounding in her chest like a hammer and God help her, there's a part of her that wants to say yes. ''If you want to be with her, I mean....''

''I'm perfectly fine with that,'' he says. ''Are you?'' When she doesn't answer, biting her lip instead, he grins and takes another step. She doesn't move. ''I can find someone else,'' he says. ''I'll find some poor sap with no friends and no family and Abby and I will never bother you or the Winchesters again.''

''You'll leave the rest of the ghosts alone?''

He hesitates briefly, narrowing his eyes. Eventually he sighs heavily and rolls his eyes. ''Fine.''

The silence is only broken by the sound of rain pouring down on them and she has to look at the ground because she can't look at him anymore. In her mind, she thinks it over and imagines what will happen if she says yes. For a moment she weighs the pros and cons and she's sure this moment will haunt her forever, guilt and shame pouring down on her like rain because this is the moment she almost became a real cold, heartless demon. But...But she can't. Even though there are still tears burning her eyes and she's utterly _terrified _he'll take Dean away from her forever, she can't do it. She can't do it to Abby, to Jimmy, whoever he would have to possess. She said yes to Henry Dunn once and look where that got her.

She got everyone she loved _killed_.

She will not do that again.

Blue irises turn hard and angry as she lifts her head to look at him, pretending she's confident and not at all scared. ''No.''

He actually looks shocked; apparently he really did think she would say yes. After all, she did it once before. The shock is soon replaced by rage as he growls at her in frustration.

''I'm not like you, Henry. I'm not a monster.''

''Aren't you?'' He asks, casually. ''I've seen those black eyes of yours, honey, those aren't human. Are you really sure you're not a monster?''

She presses her lips together and _doesn't say a word._

His eyes darken and in two quick strides, he's right in front of her, glaring down at her with empty eyes as he grabs her hair in a painful grip. ''I'll kill him. I swear I will.''

She surprises even herself when she looks into his eyes and says, ''Go ahead.''

He's so shocked he lets go of her and stumbles away from her, faltering as he chokes out, ''W-What?'' Because there goes his master plan, his only truly terrifying threat.

''I said go ahead,'' she says strongly. ''If you're going to kill us, just _do it already._ Kill me, kill Dean, but I am not letting you get anywhere near Abby Mills ever again. You took enough away from her. Besides,'' she laughs when she takes a step towards him and he moves away from her. Tables seem to be turning, don't they? ''She's happy without you. She has Jimmy, she's trying to move on, she has a life. She doesn't want you!''

Those last four words push him over the edge, just like she knew they would and with a vicious snarl of, ''You _bitch,_'' he lunges forwards and hits her. Hard. She goes to the ground, splashing in the puddles, but this time she doesn't care.

''No!'' Dean's voice (and this is really Dean, she can just tell) rings out through the forest and he stumbles away from her. ''You stay away from her! You touch her again and I'm gonna - ''

''You're gonna what?'' Henry shakes Dean off, looking decidedly miffed, but his attention is not on her for a second which is good. Very good. ''Curse at me some more? Make some more empty threats? Oh, I'm shakin' in my boots. Now, kindly, _get back in your corner_ you idiot! And drop the freaking hero complex!''

Dean stays silent, but that's really okay. She's good. ''Hey, Henry!''

He whirls around to face her, jaw twitching in irritation.

''You want to be a serial killer? Fine by me. But first you might want to learn how to tie a fucking knot.'' Standing, she shakes off the ropes and punches him hard enough to send him to the ground. A small wince flickers on her face and she feels a twinge of regret because Dean's the one who's going to have the bruises tomorrow.

He doesn't have the reaction she had hoped for, if he's shocked he doesn't show it, instead laughing up at her. ''I was right. You _are_ feisty.'' He kicks her feet out from underneath her and she lands hard on her back next to him. ''But you're still just a girl.''

Now she's pissed. All of those years she wasted on stupid Henry Dunn, believing he was the perfect man, her knight in shining armor, she is _not_ going to let him get away with that. ''You're wrong,'' she breathes, letting black slide over blue, the power running through her veins strong and intoxicating. Bringing all her natural and unnatural strength to the surface, she grabs him and pulls him to his feet. ''I'm not just a girl anymore, I am _strong._ Much stronger than you ever will be.'' And then she throws him into the same tree she had been pressed up against, watching in satisfaction as he falls to the ground in a heap.

She wanted to end this. Well, here's her chance.

He groans, glaring up at her and when she's close enough, his hands wrap around her ankle and he twists her, sending her to the ground rolling. ''Hm.'' With a smirk, he jumps to his feet. ''Body's got nice reflexes.''

''Oh, damn it, Dean,'' she mutters. Great, now she's going to have to push herself to do even better. ''Why do you have to be such a good fighter?'' When she's back on her feet, she throws a punch at him that even he knows is sloppy. He catches her fist easily and twists her around, pushing her away from him.

''Would you stop this, Patricia? You're making a fool of yourself. Again.''

''Right back at you,'' she gets out through gritted teeth and she sends a punch to his jaw, adding a kick to his chest for good measure.

''You know,'' he drawls lazily, once he's caught his breath. She doesn't like how unconcerned he sounds. ''I know exactly what you are, Ruby.'' He throws a fist into her face and kicks her when she's down. Literally. ''Or rather, Dean does. And do you know what else Dean knows?'' He yanks her to her feet, making sure to twist her arm enough to make her yelp in pain.

She manages to dance free of his grip and pounce at him but he side steps and she stumbles. ''How much of an asshole you are?'' She suggests, breathlessly.

''No.'' The insult slides off him with the rain and the look in his eyes makes her feel extremely uncomfortable. Oh no. ''He knows how to kill you.''

She freezes. Oh no indeed. Seriously, this can't be good.

''He knows _what _will kill you.'' With a sadistic smile, he pulls out a much different knife that shines in the moonlight and her anger slowly fizzles out, replaced by something else entirely.

Well....

.....Shit.

''This knife can kill you, can't it?'' He grins widely. ''It can finally finish what I started. And you know what? It's about time someone took you out.''

''Henry, no!'' Her scream is loud and terrified as she backs away from him. ''Don't do this!'' But he's fast and in a second, he's looped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against Dean's body. Her eyes are terrified, filled with tears and pleading for him not to do this, she knows he can see it, she knows he doesn't care.

He's a monster, why would he care?

Desperate, she searches for Dean. ''Dean, you can't let him do this! Please....'' It comes out in a sob she can't stop, tears spilling over. ''Come back. Don't let him kill me! Don't let me di - ''

He sighs, rolls his eyes and shuts her up by plunging the knife into her stomach.

With Trish, as her life slowly slipped away from her and he held her in his arms, he whispered, ''It's not fair.''

With Ruby, it's different. He's smiling this time, a horrible, cruel smile as he whispers in her ear, ''This time, it is fair.''

(He's wins. And if you ask him, it's the best feeling in the world. He's won. He's _finally _won.)

**end part three**

* * *

**AN: Yeah. So....sorry. Don't throw things at me. Yet.**

**I have to go stain my prom dress with blood and dirt. Hope you have a spooktacular night! And remember; don't play in graveyards on Halloween night.**


	4. unfold me

_AN: Aaaahh! I'm so sorry for the long wait. This chapter turned out incredibly long. Way longer than I thought it would. Anyway, I hope this chapter is worth the wait._

**Disclaimer: **I still own nothing.

* * *

**I Will Glue You Back Together**

_[part four; unfold me]_

* * *

_Written by Becks Rylynn_

* * *

_be my friend  
hold me, wrap me up  
unfold me  
_**-sia, **_**breathe me**_

* * *

The knife slices through her like she's made of butter and unlike last time, probably out of bitterness; he twists the knife a couple times just to make sure it hurts even more. It really does. It hurts more than she thought it would, her eyes actually water from the pain. There is blood on her tongue, rising in her throat and trickling out the corner of her mouth because he went for the stomach this time and he might have hit a lung or an internal organ of some sort.

And....And fuck, she's making that goddamned gasping noise again and he's being extremely gentle with her as he lowers her to the ground. Just like last time. Just like her nightmare. The whole thing is eerily similar to what happened before. Only she's blonde now and there is no white dress and no bare feet. No shock and betrayal. She isn't Trish now, she's Ruby. In the end, he killed them both.

....Except that's when she realizes she's not dead and remembers - _oh, yeah._

''Any last words, Trish?'' He whispers in her ear.

She coughs and more blood seeps out of her mouth as she reaches out to grasp at him. ''H-Henry,'' she gasps out around the blood in her mouth. ''You're....You're an idiot.'' At her side, her hand curls into a fist and, using all of the strength she has at the moment, she punches him hard enough to send him sprawling backwards.

Groaning at the searing pain in her abdomen, she collapses back to the ground, the raindrops falling on her face. They feel sharp for some reason. After a second, she manages to roll over, pushing herself onto her hands and knees, fingernails digging into the mud and wet leaves as she continues to hack up blood until her airways are clear. Slowly, she stands, stumbling a little as she licks blood off her lips. A frown mars her face as she puts her hands on her hips and looks down at the knife sticking out of her with disapproval. ''You know, Henry,'' she rasps out, throat stinging painfully. ''I really _hate_ it when people _stab_ me.'' Then she wraps her hands around the handle of the knife and roughly yanks it from her stomach, somehow managing not to scream in the process.

He's looking at her with wide and disbelieving eyes as he scrambles to his feet. ''How did you....What....What did you do?!''

She smirks dryly and tosses the knife away. ''That was the _wrong_ knife, you half wit!'' Feeling strangely proud of her accomplishment, she grins and takes a step towards him. ''Dean doesn't have the demon killing knife, Sam does. Fuck, Henry, and you actually call yourself a mass murderer? You're pathetic.''

''But...But Dean said it....He kept begging me not to do it and.....and you....you were afraid.''

She shrugs. ''What can I say? We're good. You think we're Oscar worthy?''

The rage shines brightly in his eyes but honestly, she could care less. She isn't scared anymore, she's isn't going to run or cry, she is going to end this. She isn't a weakling, shocked and hurt by her lover's betrayal. She isn't Trish Wellington, she is _Ruby_ and she has more power than Henry Dunn could ever ask for. ''You stupid bitch,'' he laughs, stepping towards her with his hands clenched into fists. ''You really think you're stronger than me? Please, all you ever were and all you ever will be is a brainless whore who wasn't even a good lay.''

The words bounce right off of her, all she does is smirk and she can see he's quickly becoming frustrated. ''Sweetheart, I was the best you'll ever have.''

He takes one more step and she doesn't budge, folding her arms across her chest. ''You're weak, Trish, and you know it.''

''Hmm.....'' She ponders that for a moment, biting down hard on her bottom lip and then she smiles sweetly and peers up at him through her eyelashes. ''Henry,'' she uncrosses her arms and closes the distance between them, bringing a hand to his cheek. ''My name is Ruby.'' Fast like lightning, she moves her hand down to the collar of his jacket, grasps it tightly and throws him into the mud. A smile, no, a _smirk_, dances its way across her lips as all the control he has taken from her is finally returned. ''I am not the only weak one here, baby,'' she sneers, hauling him to his feet. ''Let's talk about you shall we?'' When he curls his hand into a fist and cocks it back, she catches it easily and the next thing he knows he's back on the ground. ''All of that fucked up crazy ass shit you did to 'get Abby'? It was weak and you know it. It was all about control, all about dominance, about being some macho tough guy.'' She laughs, kicks him in the gut and mentally reminds herself she is _definitely _going to owe Dean a drink when she's done with Henry. ''All it did was make you look like a loon. Which,'' she shrugs and straddles him, pulling him up to meet her eyes. ''Admittedly, you were.''

When she raises a hand to slap him, he suddenly snaps back to reality and pushes her off him hard enough to send her back. ''Me? Oh, I'm the crazy one? Hey, at least I'm not you! You should have stayed dead!''

''Yeah,'' she nods in agreement and stands. ''I probably should have. Too bad I didn't.''

He grabs her arms fast, but she easily wrenches free, twisting his arm backwards. ''You're pathetic, _Trish_!'' He cackles in her ear. ''I know you won't kill me; you'd never kill your boyfriend. And I am just not willing to go away.''

She snarls and shoves him away from her, when he turns she sends a nasty right hook to his face. ''He is _not _my boyfriend!'' The punch sends him to the ground and she knows she's winning. ''You can't break me, Henry,'' she says calmly as he struggles to his feet, looking more and more worn out with every blow he takes. ''I know that's what you're trying to do. You're trying to make me cry and moan enough to make me beg you to kill me and I'll admit you almost had me. But you want me to suffer. And guess what? I'm already suffering, I'm already _broken._ You can't break me anymore!''

She lunges, attacking with everything she has. Each punch, each kick, he tries to block her, he tries to fight but he can't. She's simply too good for him. Too strong. With one final kick to the chest, enjoying the strangled gasps, and one nasty uppercut, he can barely stand and she....well, she can go another round. She pauses briefly, catching her breath, knuckles stinging as she searches his eyes. ''Listen, Dean, I am _really _sorry about this.''

''You....'' He coughs painfully. ''You can't do this. I am stronger than you!''

''No,'' she shakes her head. ''You're really not.''

And she sends one last punch. That final blow does it and Dean falls to the ground, body worn and aching. Henry, however, remains standing before her in his place. It's him this time, those same eyes she used to look into and see everything she ever wanted, the same lips she used to kiss. This is him, this is who used to be her everything and know what she feels?

....Nothing.

He looks at her for a split second, shocked and appalled, before he glances down at his own ghostly form. _''What have you done?!''_ And that's his voice; it sounds just like a ghost's voice, it echoes in an unnatural way and floats through the air like a tangible thread of something cruel.

She looks at him with eyes that give nothing away, remaining silent. She's got nothing to say, she's already said it all. Breathing steadily, she meets his eyes and briefly, it's gone so quickly she can't be sure it's real, she thinks she might catch a glimpse of the old Henry in those cold eyes. The one she loved, the one who was warm and kind, the one who was _hers._ But, even if he is still in there somewhere, even if there is a piece of good waiting, it's too late now, he can't be saved. That's something she came to terms with long ago.

Henry Dunn was never meant to be Trish Wellington's.

Besides, all she can seem to think about at the moment is.....Dean. She side steps the ghost and rushes to Dean's side, dropping to her knees in the mud, her fingers instinctively curling around his shirt. The rising and falling of his chest is but a small comfort as she looks at his lifeless form. She can already see the bruises that will form on his face from her fists. Grimacing slightly, she fingers a cut on his forehead and wills him to open his eyes. ''Dean,'' she whispers and the rain pelting down on both of them drowns out the sound of her voice. ''Dean, I'm sorry....I'm so sorry....''

He groans to let her know he's still alive, but doesn't wake up. It's still enough to make her nearly sob in relief.

Henry's seething as he points a shaking, accusing finger at her. _''I will get you for this, Trish!''_

''My name is Ruby!'' She snaps, drawing her hands away from Dean's face to glare up at the ghost.

_''You'll pay,''_ he promises. _''You'll burn just like me. I know what you are! I know where you'll go!''_

She shrugs, without concern. ''Guess I'll see you there.'' Her body tenses and she can feel them coming, all around her in the darkness. Swallowing hard, she manages a shaky smirk in his direction as she waits for them to come. ''I think this is your exit,'' she whispers.

He scowls, not looking one bit impressed. _''What are you talking about?''_

The whispers come first, starting out soft and low but growing louder with each second that passes. She watches as Henry starts to panic. The smell comes next, like death and decay. ''Henry,'' she says and she thinks her voice should sound hard and unbreakable, but it shakes with nerves. ''If there's one thing I've learned from this, it's that you can't run from your ghosts forever.'' The air around them starts to shift and shimmer, the wind picks up, the thunder booms loudly and the whispers turn into ghostly moans. ''Sooner or later, they're going to catch up with you.''

And they all come back to save her.

One by one....

They look different, Henry's victims. Not as pretty. Blood drips from their grizzly wounds, their faces are pale and gray, their lips are blue and they reek of decomposing flesh. They look _dead_. Not at all like the lively spirits she's been seeing all over the place. But they're here and that's all that matters because Henry is scared. He looks like he desperately wants to say something, run, but something is holding him in place. They're not letting him go. They're not letting him get them this time. It's their turn.

She watches, holding her breath, her hand clutching at Dean's, as one of the ghosts steps forwards, his eyes piercing and betrayed. And when Henry does try to run, he finds his father is suddenly holding his arms, preventing him from moving.

Slowly, JD steps up to his brother, an angry smirk working its way across his blue lips._ ''Hello, brother,''_ he says calmly, right before he takes him down. With one simple move, JD places a hand on the side of Henry's head and gets the revenge he has been waiting for.

Henry's screams bounce off the trees, the rain picks up, thunder cracks, lightning streaks across the sky and everything goes white. It's blinding, she has to shield her eyes. It's something powerful and it fills every empty space. It gets inside of her until she can't hear the thunder or feel the rain and then it's gone. As the light dies down, she opens her eyes and finds the heavy rain has turned from hard and angry to soft and light and there are no ghosts in front of her anymore. They have slowly faded away, leaving behind the faintest sounds of whispers she cannot decipher and the memories that will always haunt.

For a single moment, all she can do is stare at the place where Henry once stood. She feels her eyes sting, her throat ache and her lips tremble because she's finally free of him, but she pushes everything away and doesn't cry, focusing her attention on Dean. Softly, she runs a finger down his cheek and her voice is quiet as she begs him to open his eyes. ''Dean...Dean, come on, open your eyes. Short bus, now is not the time! _Dean!_''

She's this close to shaking him when he opens his eyes slowly and meets hers. She smiles at him weakly, he blinks, and then a loud, strangled gasp escapes his lips as he bolts upright, clawing at his chest. ''Henry,'' he breathes out and when he realizes Henry isn't in his head anymore, his eyes turn absolutely furious, darting around the forest for the man who took his body and made him do terrible things. ''Where is he?'' His voice is even angrier than his eyes, a low menacing growl. ''Where is that little bitch? Man, I swear I'm gonna kill him deader than he already is!''

She laughs, feeling that small dull ache lift from her chest momentarily. ''It's okay, Dean, he's gone. Henry's gone. For good this time.''

''What? How? What did you do?''

''Me?'' She shrugs innocently and her smile is secretive and soft, but she knows he'll just roll his eyes and let it go. ''Nothing. I guess....his ghosts just caught up to him.''

This is it now. It's over. Henry's gone, Wakefield has stuck true to his word, taking his son down to hell, and the restless spirits have been set free to do what they please. She did what she came to do, she ended it and now she can finally move on, let go, be _somebody._ So....

....Why doesn't she feel happy?

* * *

Trudging back to the inn, soaked to the bone and shivering, Dean apologizes to her about a million times before she finally huffs impatiently and threatens him with bodily harm if he keeps doing that.

''It wasn't you, Dean, you didn't have any control over what was happening.''

''But I was there,'' he protests. ''I was there and I couldn't do anything to save you.''

''God, Winchester.'' She stops walking for a second, folding her arms around herself to keep warm. Her gaze is stony and blank, but there's a small smirk on her lips as she peers at him closely. ''Do you always have to be the hero?''

He pauses, blinks, ponders the question for a second and then he nods. ''Yes. I do.''

Apparently, Henry was right; Dean Winchester _does_ have a hero complex.

She bites down on her bottom lip and studies him silently, trying to come up with something to say to that. ''You're good at it,'' she whispers finally, looking downwards briefly. ''Being a hero, I mean. You're good at it, but.....sometimes people just need to save themselves.''

His eyes darken for a second, she can tell he doesn't agree with that, he probably never will. ''I'm still sorry,'' he says. ''For what he tried to do to you....for everything he _did_ do to you. And I'm not just talkin' about tonight.'' He squeezes her arm gently and suddenly she doesn't feel so cold anymore.

''It doesn't matter anymore,'' she says, hollowly as she brushes past him and keeps walking.

Except it really kind of does.

* * *

Back at the inn with Sam (they had crept through the house for several minutes before Dean was tackled to the ground by his brother and had to spend the next five minutes trying to convince Sam that, ''Dude, it's _me_!'') they're all ready to get the hell out of this place. It's all over and done with, it's late, they're tired and sore, Dean and Ruby are wet and freezing and....it's just been a really long night.

A really long, _surreal_ night.

Once they're back at the motel, Ruby beats Dean to the shower, ignores his frustrated ''Ru_-by_!'' and warped offer of ''Can't we at least share?'' and peels off her wet and muddy clothing, smiling slightly when she hears the smack Dean receives from his brother due to the last comment.

As the hot water rains down on her cold skin, that's when it all comes back to her, that's when the pain starts. It's a gnawing, aching, burning feeling that starts in her chest and goes to every inch of her body. It hurts so bad she feels like she's going to explode. Only she doesn't know why. Shaking it off, she has to remind herself that it's over now and she can be _Ruby_ again.

She can't be sure how long she stands unmoving under the hot water but it must be awhile because soon, Dean's banging on the bathroom door telling her she better not use all the hot water or else. She's not sure what ''or else'' means, but knowing Dean it's probably something childish and immature, like throwing her clothes into a puddle or smacking her hand away when she steals food off his plate. She decides not to tempt fate and steps out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body.

And when she catches a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror, she suddenly realizes what hurts so much.

Her reflection flickers in front of her and a startled blonde is replaced by a scowling brunette. _''This is your fault,''_ her reflection whispers, and her voice doesn't even sound human it's so angry. _''They died because of you!''_

Then she's watching as Trish Wellington hits the mirror and the glass breaks. It shatters and comes towards her, but she doesn't jump back or scream, she merely turns her head, closes her eyes and lets the glass fly at her, breaking skin and bringing blood to the surface.

Soon enough, silence engulfs the small bathroom and when she opens her eyes, the mirror is intact, her reflection is normal and there is no blood. That gnawing, aching, burning feeling that makes her want to explode?

It's guilt.

Apparently....

....It's not quite over yet.

* * *

She doesn't say anything about the strange vision to the boys; actually she doesn't say much of anything to them when she steps out of the bathroom. Although, she does manage to stop Dean in his tracks when he sees her. She freezes, body tensing for just a second when she realizes _Dean_ has seen her in _nothing but a towel._

_Note to self: Next time bring clothes _into_ the bathroom._

''What?'' She finally manages to splutter out, voice not holding the edge she'd like it to.

''I....'' He swallows and she bites her lip. ''...Nothing.'' Unlike all the other times he's brushed past her carelessly, this time is different. He carefully side steps her and she thinks he's being a little _too _careful not to touch her, but some part of her is relieved. That is a _whole different _kind of exploding.

Behind her, the door shuts and she lets out breath, closing her eyes briefly. When she opens them, she finds herself looking at the younger Winchester, standing with his arms crossed and a grin on his face. ''That was a little awkward.'' She blushes, tries to hide it behind her hair and fails miserably. ''I saw that,'' he pipes up.

She sets her jaw and glares, pointing a finger in his direction. ''One more word, boy king, I dare you.''

He holds up his hands in surrender, even though the smirk he has_ clearly _picked up from his brother is still displayed on his lips.

Rolling her eyes, she stomps over to her bag; ordering out, ''Turn around'' as she does. He does as he's told, she pauses, making sure he can't see anything and then she drops the towel. She's half dressed when her brain kicks in and she remembers Dean didn't have any clothes in his hands either. A small smile grows on her flushed face as she pulls out a clean shirt. Holy moly, isn't that blush inducing?

....Not that she wants to see him without any clothes on.

''So...'' Sam's voice tears her from her bad, bad thoughts and she clears her throat, tugging the shirt over her head. ''....How are you?''

''I'm fine,'' she says tonelessly. ''Why wouldn't I be? You can turn back around now.'' Her eyes stray to the bed she's standing beside and it looks so tempting. She is utterly exhausted, but to be honest, she kind of had plans to go out and get drunk tonight. Like can't-see-straight-fall-in-the-pool drunk. Well....maybe just for a minute. As soon as she allows herself to crawl into Dean's bed, she realizes the dire mistake she's made. She is never going to be able to get up.

''Why wouldn't you be okay?'' Sam repeats, dryly. ''Would you like me to list all of the reasons?''

She laughs, rolling onto her side to face him. ''It's over, Sam, it's all over. I'm fine. Really.'' Liar, liar. ''Aside from the fact that I got all wet again. You know, that was the second time I've been wet today.''

''And both times involved my brother. Hmm.....that sounds like too much information, Ruby.''

''Ew.'' She throws a pillow at him, covering her face with her hands. ''You Winchesters have sick, sick minds.''

''Yes, we do,'' he laughs. ''It's in the genes.''

For a moment, she finds herself actually smiling a real, genuine smile. ''Yeah, well, men are pigs. And you two are _oinkers._''

He shrugs. ''That's fair.''

And he's _still_ more mature than his brother. Shaking her head, she allows her eyelids to drift shut even though she really shouldn't. What about her booze plans?

''Ruby....'' He speaks softly, gently like he doesn't want to scare her and she already knows what his next words are going to be. ''Why didn't you ever - ''

''Tell you about Trish Wellington?'' When he doesn't answer, she forces her eyes open and he gives her that look that only Sam can pull off. She sighs heavily and focuses her gaze anywhere but his eyes. ''There were a lot of reasons to keep it to myself. The number one reason was that I...didn't want you to pity me. I am not that girl.'' She looks him in the eyes now and tries to be calm and steady, even if it's just on the outside. ''That girl who needs the big strong men to save her and I know that if I had told you both from the start, all you would have wanted to do was save me. Especially you, Sam. It's who you are. You boys always save the girl.''

''Not always,'' he murmurs softly. ''Ruby....my mother and girlfriend both burned up on the ceiling, I suffered from visions so painful it felt like splitting open my head with a hammer would hurt less, my father told Dean if he couldn't save me he was going to have to kill me, my brother literally sold his soul for me. Do you pity me?''

She'd like to. But....never has she pitied either of the Winchesters. They have each other and that's way more than she's got. ''No.''

He smiles softly but his gaze is intense and she learns Dean isn't the only one with piercing eyes. It must be a Winchester thing. ''What makes you so special?'' He asks, and there is no bitterness, no malice in his voice, it's only soft and curious.

''I...I don't know,'' she admits quietly.

''Everybody has a past, Ruby,'' he says gently. ''Everybody's a little broken. It just makes us human.''

''But I'm _not_ human.''

He tilts his head to the side and studies her closely. ''I'm pretty sure you are somewhere inside.''

''What makes you so sure?''

He shrugs. ''How many demons out there care as much as you do? You care about me, about Dean, your friends, your family. You love. That's your humanity, Ruby. You should know that by now.''

She doesn't say anything because her throat has closed up, but she's not sure what to say to that because a ''thank you'' doesn't seem like it would be enough. It's strange, the words, he says them like he believes them. She's pretty sure he does. She thinks it might be nice to believe them too, but she has long ago stopped believing in her humanity. She's not sure she believes in the demon inside of her either, but that's a story for another time.

Tonight, it's easier just to _be_.

''I don't understand,'' she murmurs. The tiredness has swept over her like a wave, the gnawing is lessening as sleep starts to take over and her plan to get out and go get plastered is quickly slipping farther and farther from her reach. ''Why do you care so much about me, Sam? Why do either of you care? I'm nothing.''

Sam pauses and doesn't speak for a second, seemingly thinking over the question before he smiles that gentle smile of his. ''You're _definitely_ something.''

It's a new one for her but she decides she likes it.

For as long as she can, she fights the sleep, continuing to tell herself to get up and go but she can never quite move. Her limbs are tired and aching and her head is pounding and this night has lasted _forever._ Eventually, she drifts off, telling herself she's just going to close her eyes for a minute. And when she's jolted back to consciousness, Dean has knelt down to her level and the room is darkened. He's dressed (but that's not disappointment she feels because that would insinuate she wants to see him all half naked and dripping and she does not. That would be wrong) and he looks tired and she's just waiting for him to kick her out of his bed.

''Hey,'' he says softly, letting a smile tug at the corners of his mouth for a fraction of a second. ''How are you doing?''

She should scowl at the way his voice is too soft and too gentle like she's some kind of sickly, dying invalid but she can't find the energy. ''Don't treat me like I'm glass,'' she mumbles, internally wincing when she hears her own voice and realizes it sounds barely coherent.

''More like _plexi_glass,'' he mutters.

''Unbreakable?''

''Strong,'' he corrects. ''But not unbreakable.''

She chooses to ignore that, struggling to sit up. ''I should....I should go.''

He looks at her like she's insane, gently pushes her back down on the bed, laughs and shakes his head. ''Go back to sleep, Ruby.''

Since she's tired and can't fight back, she listens to him but only for tonight. As she slips back into slumber, she swears for just a second, that she feels him stroke her hair and trail a finger down her cheek. But she decides she's really too tired to be sure.

* * *

No, he does _not_ stroke her hair.

He just fixes it.

Stroking would involve tenderness and he just doesn't do that sort of thing. Look, she just had hair in her face, all right? That's all.

Yes, he does trail a finger down her cheek.

_BUT_ it's only because....because....well, because....oh, fuck, fine....he just...he just....wantstoseeifherskinisassoftasitlooks.

It's not like it means anything at all. He only cares about her as a friend. Not even a friend really, she's just an acquaintance. That is all.

Really.

* * *

Personally, Dean doesn't see anything wrong with sharing a bed. Contrary to popular belief, he is not a sick and twisted individual. He can keep his hands to himself, you know. Except when he voices this to Sam, his brother scoffs and says simply, ''No, you can't.''

Dean blinks. ''Excuse me?''

''Dean....'' Sam breaks off in a sigh, crossing his arms. ''You sort of have a tendency to....cuddle....in your sleep.''

Green eyes grow wide and horrified and Dean takes a menacing step towards his brother, mouth twisted into a displeased frown. ''Take. That. Back.''

''It's true. You're very touchy feely when you're unconscious. Hey,'' Sam's eyes light up and he snaps his fingers, grin coming to rest on his lips. ''Maybe you should think about getting a teddy bear.''

''Yeah, well, you're.....you're....a....a giant.'' For added emphasis, the older brother sticks his tongue out, turns on his heel and stomps quietly over to the other side of the bed.

''And here I thought you couldn't get anymore childish,'' Sam remarks, with a shake of his head. ''Go to sleep, Dean.''

It's only after Sam has climbed into his own bed, crawled under the covers and closed his eyes that Dean whispers one last thing just to get the last laugh. ''At least I don't cry my way through sex.'' Somewhere between grinning like an idiot and folding his arms in triumph, a pillow hits him square in the chest and Sam's indignant mutter of ''Jackass'' meets his ears. The moments pass by in silence and when he looks, the clock reads 3:21 and he's fucking tired so you know what?

Screw it.

Careful not to wake her, he crawls into bed next to Ruby and swears he can feel his dumbass little brother smirking from across the room. For the love of everything holy, it's _no. Big. Deal._ Honestly. He's shared a bed with a woman and not done anything....

....Once.

He draws in a deep breath and presses himself against the edge of the bed until he's nearly falling off. It's been a long night and he just wants to get some sleep.

However, as it turns out, he is not the one to worry about. Just as the sun is rising outside casting the silent room in an eerie glow, he is pulled out of sleep by the sound of a moan. Opening his eyes, he eyes the distance between them wearily because he _has_ moved closer to her and that distance between them has grown incredibly small. Well, damn. Maybe Sam was right. Beside him she's tossing and turning and then it just happens. So quick it's like someone has pushed her roughly to him. Whimpering in her sleep, she rolls over, instantly pressed against him.

And he _stops breathing_.

Her fingers curl tight around the fabric of his shirt and she buries her face in his chest. Briefly, he thinks about teasing her mercilessly for this tomorrow but that thought is quickly pushed away by the feeling of relief. And he finds himself glad she has something to hold onto. Except that thought freaks him out so he decides to focus on his breathing. Her body is shivering against his, there are goosebumps on her skin and now she's gasping. It's a familiar gasp, the same noise she made earlier when Henry drove the knife into her stomach (absently, his fingers trace the spot where the knife went in but there's nothing there at all.)

He's pretty sure he knows what she's dreaming about.

Soon enough, he realizes his touches are bordering on _tender, _one of his arms has wrapped around her and his brain is telling him _hey, this isn't so bad._ A strangled noise of shock escapes his lips, he lets go and rolls off the bed, landing hard on the floor with a thud. Super.

On the bed, she gasps in a totally different way and bolts upright.

On the floor, he closes his eyes tight and pretends he's sleeping.

For a moment she sits there, breathing hard, her face in her hands and then she whispers something hoarse and soft, but he catches it easily and it brings out the urge to get up and help her in some way. ''It's supposed to be over.''

He thinks he should probably get up.....

....But then he remembers her body against his and decides maybe he'll just stay down here for awhile.

* * *

Dean and Sam sleep in and miss the boat off this godforsaken island.

Doesn't sound too bad, does it? It wouldn't be. Except that the boat left at 2:00 pm and they slept in till three. _Three._ Three o'clock in the fucking afternoon.

It's their first clue that something isn't right and it's a pretty big one. Their second clue that something's going on is the fact that Ruby has mysteriously vanished. She's not there when they wake up and she's not answering her phone. But it's not like they panic or anything, it's just that they're _concerned_. That's allowed.

''She probably just left the island,'' Sam says reasonably.

''Then why didn't she wake us?'' Dean fires back. His reason is long gone.

''....I don't know.''

Dean clenches and unclenches his fists, breathes and shakes his head. ''I'm callin' her again.'' It goes to voicemail again and he lets out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face. He's seated at the table in the room and his knee is bouncing up and down but he's_ not _nervous. Honest.

''Dean, if you don't stop doing that I'm going to pull out my - ''

''Hey, hey, hey,'' Dean holds up a hand and narrows his eyes at his brother. ''I don't swing that way, Sammy. Not to mention that's incest, you big freak.''

Sam stares at him for a long time and then lets out a slow breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. ''It's nice to know no pointless, moronic comments have gone left unsaid.''

''Shut up, Sam!''

''Act your age, Dean!''

In response to that, the elder brother claps his hands over his ears and closes his eyes. ''I can't hear you! I can't hear you! La, la, la, la - ah!'' He is roughly yanked to his feet by his very much unimpressed brother who smacks him upside the head and grabs his collar.

''For God's sake, dude, pull yourself together!''

''You pull yourself together!''

''Okay,'' Sam lets him go and takes a few steps backwards. ''Why are we fighting?''

Dean thinks about that for a moment and then comes to a conclusion he really didn't want. Heaving a heavy sigh, he folds his arms and sneaks a glance at the cell phone on the table. ''Sam,'' he says seriously, meeting his brother's eyes. ''I think we may be panicking.''

''I think you're right.''

Well, son of a bitch. They truly care. A lot. A lot more than they thought they did. Huh.

''Damn it, Ruby,'' Dean mutters under his breath as he snatches the phone and dials her number...._again._ It rings and rings and rings and he waits and waits and waits but nothing ever happens. She doesn't pick up, there is no reassurance, it goes straight to voicemail _again_ and he is stuck in panic mode wondering why _the fuck_ he's in panic mode. ''Damn it, Ruby!'' Only this time it comes out a yell and all that anger drives him to slam the phone down on the table hard.

''Dean....''

''What if he's got her?'' The words escape his lips before he can stop them, sounding of fear and anguish. He's not sure why, but there's this voice in the back of his head that just keeps snarling protectively, _''No. He can't have her.'' _And he doesn't understand it one little bit but it's powerful.

Sam frowns in confusion, eyes moving back and forth as Dean starts to pace. ''Who?''

''Henry!'' Dean snaps. ''Who else? What if he's got her locked away somewhere and he's....'' He trails off, remembering all of the things Henry had been thinking of last night as he beat her and tried to break her, all of the things he wanted to do to her.....

He swallows hard and tries not to think about how much genuine hatred it took for Henry to _want_ those awful things. ''I....'' He catches himself, shaking it off. ''_We_ can't let her get hurt again, Sam.''

''Dean,'' Sam sighs, ''Henry is _gone_, okay? He can't hurt her anymore. And we _will _find her, but you need to calm....What?'' He stops at the look on his brother's face, frowning. ''What's that look for?''

But Dean doesn't answer because suddenly he knows where to find her. Or at least how to find her. Turning on his heel, he doesn't even say a word to his brother as he grabs his jacket and throws open the door. _But_, he maintains, it doesn't mean _anything._ It just means maybe she's a little more than an acquaintance. That's as far as it goes.

He swears.

* * *

''Dean! Would you just_ stop_? Tell me what's going on.''

''I have a plan,'' Dean says vaguely as he practically rips open the door to the Candlewick.

''A plan. That's great. Care to elaborate?''

''Nope.'' Stomping through the house, Dean narrows green eyes in frustration and has only one thing on his mind. Finding Ruby. Because something is obviously going on here and he wants to know what. He wants to know why the hell he found himself waking up at three in the afternoon (he's sure it was them, it has to be) and he wants to know what the fucking hell is going on with Ruby slash Trish Wellington. Finally, he comes to a stop in the middle of a dusty old room, the dim light coming through the windows illuminating the dust in the air. ''Hey! Ghosts! Come on, I know you're there, don't be stubborn!'' He pauses, waits; gets nothing. ''Sully! Are you in here?'' Silence. ''Sam,'' he whirls around to look at the other man, who is looking more and more irritated that Dean isn't letting him in on the plan. ''The other guy, what was his name?''

''You mean Danny?''

''Danny! What about you? You here? Uh...'' He blinks and scratches the back of his neck, trying to remember the other guy's name. ''Henry's brother! _Hey!_ Hello, are you dead people deaf or somethin'?!''

''Dean - ''

''Shush.'' A moment goes by and still no ghosts show their faces. Eventually, Dean sighs and throws his hands up into the air, keeping his eyes peeled for dead people. ''Okay, look, you people may not like me, but I am just trying to help Ru...._Trish_. Do you understand that?'' He steps further into the room and looks around once again, noting the way the curtains are swaying even though there's no wind. ''I...don't think she's handling this thing all that well, all right? I think it's stirring up some bad memories and she's not dealing. I want to help her because....because....well, she's the kind of girl....oh, fuck it. I care about her. There. I said it. And you all heard me, I know you did. I care about her....a _lot_. It's...kind of unsettling actually.''

Behind him, Sam jerks in the doorway like he's just been touched by a ghost and his eyes widen slightly when the air grows colder and a breeze sweeps through the room. ''Dean, I think it's working.''

Dean licks his lips, practically begging at this point. ''I'm worried about her. She's not as strong as she pretends to be, and since we're all she has; she needs us. And....we sort of lost her. So...'' His last words are what do it.

The breeze kicks into a full blown wind and the air grows freezing cold, making them both shiver. In the middle of the room, an image starts to appear, just a faint outline of a man. _''You lost her?!'' _An unfamiliar voice roars and the misty image takes the form of someone equally as unfamiliar. His picture was_ not _in their case file. But he looks spitting mad, his eyes hard and furious as he glares at them. Or more specifically....Dean. _''You lost my daughter?!''_

Okay....they can't say they had been expecting that one. Seriously. What a way to meet the father.

Before either brother can speak up, the ghost man is scoffing in disgust and shaking his head. _''I knew I shouldn't have trusted you two lowlifes! You were supposed to protect her! You were supposed to keep her safe!''_

''Hey, _whoa_, dead dude,'' Dean holds his hands up and shoots the older man an extremely unimpressed look. ''Back the hell off, we're not her friggin' keepers, all right?'' Huffing in annoyance, he turns to Sam, cocking a head to the ghost. ''Who is this guy?''

''I, uh, I think that's Thomas Wellington.''

_''Well,''_ Thomas sneers, _''now I know who the brain of the operation is.''_

''Do you have some sort of problem with me?'' Dean snaps out. He has greatly tired of these ghost men and their overprotective attitudes towards Ruby.

_''Yes,''_ Thomas says matter-of-factly. _''I do. I'm about ninety nine percent sure you're attracted to my daughter. That doesn't sit well with me.''_

''Yeah, well, newsflash, Tommy boy, she's a big girl now. I think she's old enough to make her own decisions and choose her own men.''

_''She chose a murderer last time!''_

''She makes one _tiny_ mistake and you decide you're going to run her love life?!''

_''Only if she makes the wrong choice and I just don't see how you can be the right one. You're shady, you're scruffy and she is much too good for you, boy!''_

''I know that! Of course she's too good for me! I don't understand why you think I'm such a threat, nothing is going to happen. Come on, think about it; in what twisted reality would she actually allow herself to sink to my level?'' There's a brief pause where Dean catches his breath, Sam stares at his brother, blinking and Thomas studies Dean like he's trying to see right through him.

Finally, the ghost gives a brisk nod and folds his arms across his chest. _''As long as we're clear.''_

Dean blinks, opens his mouth to speak, closes it, pauses and then lets out a frustrated growl. ''Well, I can't talk to you.''

_''Whoa!'' _A light, female voice echoes through the room, they can only watch as a blonde woman comes waltzing into the room like she owns the place, plopping down in a chair. _''Lot of testosterone flying around in this room.''_ Her eyes move from one man to another and then she lets a wide grin slide across her lips. _''First of all, Papa Bear, you need to step back and cool it with the overprotective daddy routine. Second of all, Hottie McYummy, you have got to _chill._ I realize you're panicking 'cause you're all hot and bothered by my friend but you're really not helping anything by arguing with him. And third of all, hi, I'm Chloe.''_

They all stare at her for a minute, mouths hanging open and then Dean clears his throat and speaks. ''What did you just call me?''

_''She's right,''_ a crisp, male voice with an accent says and behind her, a tall blonde man appears with his hands on her shoulders. Automatically, she reaches up and puts her hand over his. It doesn't take the Winchesters long to recognize them as Chloe Carter and Cal Vandeusen. _''Not about the Hottie McYummy thing,''_ he says and Dean gets the feeling that if ghost boy could blush, he would be. _''But can you gentlemen at least _attempt_ to be civil? This isn't about you, this is about Trish.''_

_''Oh, baby,''_ Chloe laughs and peers up at him, adoration in her eyes. _''They're not gentlemen.''_

''Great,'' Dean mutters under his breath. ''Room full of dead people and they're already aggravating me. Oh and by the way, her name is _Ruby_.''

''Okay,'' Sam's voice is annoyed as he reaches out, yanking his brother to him. ''Dean, remember that thing I said about pulling yourself together? _Do that_.''

_''Tall, Dark and Handsome has a point,''_ Chloe chirps. _''You're acting like you need to be sedated. Oh! Cal could do it.''_ She leans closer._ ''He's a doctor, you know.''_

Cal clears his throat. _''Yes, well...thank you, love.''_

Out of the corner of his eye, Dean sees Thomas roll his eyes and hears him mutter something about Chloe being even more flighty in death. ''Can we focus please?'' The last thing he needs is a bunch of dead people telling him what to do. The only thing on his mind right now is Ruby. ''Can we get back to Ruby?''

Thomas sighs heavily. _''Yes, thank you.''_ He turns his eyes to Cal and Chloe._ ''The Winchesters here,''_ he shoots the boys a death glare._ ''Have lost her.''_

Chloe heaves a sigh and rolls her eyes, pushing herself to her feet._ ''She is a slippery one. You shouldn't blame them, Thomas,''_ she says softly. _''She probably snuck out when they were sleeping. It....''_ She looks at the ground briefly, a small smile flittering on her lips. _''It wouldn't have been hard to do.''_

Sam catches it before Dean does. ''It was you?''

_''Yeah.''_ She shrugs and doesn't look the least bit apologetic. _''But I only did it because I had to. I couldn't risk you two leaving the island without her, she needs you.''_

Dean brings a hand to his forehead and feels a ghost induced headache coming on. That was the reason behind their three pm wake up call? Ghosts, man. Never going to understand them. ''You could have just said 'oh, hey, don't forget Ruby.' That would have been much more simple.'' But then again, when is anything ever simple?

_''You don't understand,''_ Cal cuts in patiently. _''She can't leave the island yet, she isn't ready.''_

_''It isn't over,''_ Chloe finishes his sentence flawlessly, catching her fiancé's eye briefly.

Jesus, those two are so in love he's ready to hurl. He decides to settle for rolling his eyes instead.

''Why?'' Sam asks. ''Henry's - ''

_''Henry,''_ Thomas spits out the name with an ugly scowl and it's the first time Dean's actually liked the guy. _''Was just the tip of the iceberg.''_

''What's that supposed to mean?''

_''Sometimes,''_ Thomas says and his voice is suddenly much different. Softer and gentler. _''Even after you've faced all of your ghosts and said all of the words that always got stuck in your throat before....there is one more person you have to face.''_

Sam sighs. ''And who's that?''

''Yourself.'' It's Dean who whispers it and when Sam sends him a curious look, he meets his brother's eyes for a brief moment. Sam's eyes say a million things, but Dean looks away quickly, clearing his throat.

Self hatred, guilt, low self esteem, that horrible gut wrenching feeling that you just can't shake, that paralyzing fear of seeing yourself, who knows it better than Dean and Sam Winchester? Dead parents, dead girlfriends, hunting, freaky psychic powers, deals with demons, deaths, drinking, fighting, screwing, running away, the inability to give themselves away, _dude_, they're like the poster children for Fucked Up.

_''Exactly,''_ Chloe's voice snaps them back to the here and now and she's still grinning but it's sad and hollow. _''The hardest ghost to face is the ghost of yourself and as it turns out, Ruby doesn't seem to be handling_ _that in the best way.''_

Dean deadpans, ''Duh. We already got that memo, sweetheart.''

_''Trish has never been good at coping,'' _Thomas says with a shake of his head and for some reason that strikes a nerve with Dean.

''Whatever,'' he grinds out, impatiently. ''I didn't come here for a friggin' séance, okay? I need you to do something. Find her.''

_''Ask us nicer.''_

Cal reaches out and puts an arm around Chloe's waist, pulling her back to him. _''We'll find her, don't worry.''_

''What are we supposed to do? Just sit here and wait?''

_''Yes. You're supposed to sit down,''_ Thomas growls out, the frustration showing clearly in his eyes. _''Shut up and let us handle this. Don't get yourselves into trouble.''_

Dean wants nothing more than to snap at his ghost man who so clearly thinks he knows them even if he doesn't but he clamps his mouth shut instead. Ghosts annoy him, there's no doubt about that and the Harper's Island ghosts are no exception, if anything they're more annoying. But if they can find Ruby, nothing else matters. Whoa. That sounded a little much. He could actually....

....Nah.

''Okay,'' Sam readily agrees to the ghost's demands, nodding his head. ''Okay, that's fine, we'll stay here. Just, please...'' It's real and true fear in his brother's voice and Dean's can't even manage to feel surprised. ''...Find her.''

_''She's my daughter,''_ Thomas says hotly, _''of course I'll find her.''_ With those final parting words, he flashes out of sight and a cold wind flows throughout the room. Even his exit has to be dramatic.

_''Okay, boys,''_ Chloe drawls. _''Here's the deal; we'll find her, but you,''_ her gaze lingers on Dean, he pretends he doesn't notice. _''Have to fix her.''_

_''Good luck with that,''_ Cal adds. _''You're going to need it.''_

Chloe sends them one last cheeky grin and for just a second, Dean wonders why he hasn't hit on her yet. Despite the engagement ring on her finger and the fact that she is dead, she is smoking hot and he hasn't made one lewd remark. He'd say he's growing as a person but that can't be it. It's Ruby. It has to be. It's that little voice in his head that keeps chanting, _''Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby....''_ It's confusing as hell and powerful and he doesn't appreciate it one bit. Shaking it off, he watches Chloe wrap her arms around Cal's neck, the ring on her finger catching the light and twinkling as they fade out together.

And the Winchesters are left to wait.

* * *

What the hell is taking so long? It shouldn't be taking this long; they should have found her by now. Dean's sure they've got to be playing some kind of sick, ghost game on them. They've been sitting here for hours. He checks his watch. Okay, _one _hour. But that's still too long. While Dean has taken to pacing the room, Sam is slumped in a dusty chair with his eyes glued to his cell phone. He seems calm enough but Dean knows his brother better than anyone and he's sure Sam is just as worried as him.

''You know what I don't understand?'' Sam asks. ''These stupid cell phone games. I mean, what the hell is this?''

When the cell phone is displayed to him, Dean shoots him an impatient glare and does not stop pacing. ''Sam, I really don't give a flying fuck about....is that a monkey?'' He blinks a few times and then shakes it off. ''I don't have time for this, Sam. I can't just sit here. What if she's in trouble? What if she's hurt? What if - ''

''Dean - ''

''If you tell me to pull myself together I'm gonna thump you.''

Sam grins and hauls himself to his feet, tucking his phone away. ''Actually, what I was going to say was if 'ifs and buts' were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry Christmas.''

That certainly stops Dean in his tracks. Drawing in a breath, he stares at his brother for a few seconds before snarling in impatience. ''I don't know what that means!''

''Yeah,'' Sam shrugs. ''Me neither. I thought it would break the ice.''

Dean visibly deflates, sighing and turning away from his brother. Ruby is driving him crazy. She has somehow managed to worm her way into his head and it's really pissing him off. Whirling around, he locks eyes with Sam and the frustration gets the best of him. ''What is she doing to me, Sam? Seriously, how is she managing to affect me so much? She's just _Ruby_. I am losing my mind, man, and it won't go away!''

Sam laughs and shoves his hands into his pockets, looking at the ground briefly. ''Dean,'' his voice is serious but when he looks back up his eyes are light and filled with amusement. ''I think I know what's going on here.''

''....I'm listening.''

''You have a crush.''

''A crush?'' Dean laughs. Bursts out laughing actually. And then continues to laugh until he has to bend over and clutch his stomach. When the elder brother sobers, ignoring Sam's sigh, he stands straight and looks at his brother like he's got two heads. ''Dude, I'm me. I don't get crushes. People get crushes on_ me_.''

Crossing his arms, Sam arches an eyebrow and the look in his eyes tells his brother he thinks he's an idiot. ''Dean, your relationship with Ruby is clearly playground romance. Cheap insults that basically bounce right off you, stealing food off each other's plates, it's the equivalent of you pulling her pigtails and her shouting ''you can't catch me.'' You realize that, right?''

Dean waves it off and sinks into Sam's discarded chair. ''What do you know?''

''I know you.''

For a moment, Dean freezes because....that _is_ true. Sam does know him like nobody else in the world.

''Besides,'' Sam continues, ''you practically admitted it when you were arguing with Thomas. Also, when did you get it into your head that you're not good enough for her?''

Dean stiffens and his fingers clutch at the chair. Let's not go there. ''Okay, _that_ is not a conversation I want to get into with you. No chick flick moments, remember that, bitch?''

''Jerk.''

Sam doesn't push it and Dean lets out a breath. He is far too worried about Ruby to be getting into any serious conversations with his brother. A moment passes in silence and just when he's about to lose it and start pacing again, they both notice the drop in the temperature. The room has gone cold again and they can hear phantom wind blowing. Briefly, they look at each other but before they can say anything, Chloe's appeared between them, not nearly as cheerful as before. _''Found her,''_ she says, breathlessly, which Dean thinks is a little strange considering she is _dead_ and doesn't need to breathe.

Jumping to his feet, he nearly loses his footing as he rushes forwards. ''Where is she? Is she okay?''

_''We-e-ll.....it depends on your definition of okay....''_

* * *

No.

She is not okay.

Chloe takes them to The Cannery, which is apparently a bar (a stupid name for a bar if you ask Dean) and she calmly informs them that Ruby is on the roof with a bottle of tequila and all her troubles. So, no. She is not fucking okay. She's drunk and emotional and bottling up all of it and Dean knows firsthand what happens when you bottle it all up.

You _explode._

When Sam tells him, ''You should go up there,'' Dean scoffs and splutters for a second before giving up and heading towards the roof. He may be many things, but he is not stupid and he can tell from the moment they stepped on this island that this moment was going to come sooner or later. He moves silently, through air that seems to be glowing as the sun goes down, until he can see her.

Her blond hair is disheveled, whipping around her face in the wind, and there's a bottle clutched tightly in her hand as she walks the scary looking edge with drunken carelessness.

The concern falls down on him and all he wants to do is save her. ''Ruby?'' He says her name softly and with caution but she barely reacts.

''You found me,'' she murmurs and the lifeless tone of her voice scares him more than the fact that she is dancing on the ledge. She sounds hollow and empty and too broken to be fixed. (But no one is _too_ broken to be fixed.) ''I knew you would.''

''Sweetheart, what are you doing up here.''

''I'm....'' She pauses and turns to throw him a frown. ''Drinking. What does it look like? I'm drinking and _thinking_.'' Her voice is just as toneless and just as dead but in her eyes, he can see everything she has worked so hard to keep hidden. The pain, the grief, the anguish, the guilt, the anger. He can see it all. ''Hey,'' a half smile flickers on her lips as she points a finger at him. ''That rhymes, you know.''

....And she's drunk.

Frowning, he moves closer but she turns away from him, resuming her previous activity of walking back and forth on the edge, absentmindedly taking another gulp of the liquid that has to be burning her throat as it goes down. ''I thought....'' He hears her draw in a ragged breath. ''I thought this would help me escape it.''

''Escape what?'' He asks, wishing she would just turn around so he could see those eyes of hers.

''All of it. This island, this life, these memories, these...._horrible, awful _feelings.'' She shakes her head slowly; he watches her hand gripping the bottle start to shake. ''It's...It's too much, Dean.''

''Okay, well, why don't you come down and we can talk about - ''

''Stop!'' Her voice turns high and shrill as she whirls around to face him, but at least she doesn't sound dead. She stops him in his tracks with the defeated look in her eyes, broken and shattered to pieces. ''Stop it, Dean, just _stop._ Stop trying to help me, stop trying to save me, I don't want help and I _don't _want to be saved.''

He swallows hard and tries to be okay for her, but she's really starting to scare him. ''What_ do _you want?''

She smiles bitterly and takes one last swig of alcohol; he notes that the bottle is empty. Hold on a second; she drank an _entire_ bottle of tequila? That's....not good. She is _really_ lucky she's a demon. ''What I want....'' She turns away from him and holds the bottle over the edge, releasing it and watching as it falls to the ground, smashing upon impact. ''....Is...to....feel alive again.''

He can't say anything, not one word. Nothing seems good enough to say to her.

She hops down from the ledge, bringing him a small sense of relief that quickly dissipates when he sees her eyes are glistening in the sunset, tears gathering in blue eyes. ''Did you know that I haven't felt alive in over a year?'' She admits quietly, voice raspy and quiet. ''Ever since....'' She trails off and he sees the pain flicker and it's something wildly familiar. A pain he knows. ''....All I feel is cold,'' she says. ''This darkness, this demon inside of me....it's something cold and dead and no matter what I do I can't seem to warm up.''

He should say something, but he takes a risk instead by closing the distance between them and bringing a hand to her cheek. His breath catches in his throat as pleading green meets broken blue. ''You don't feel cold,'' he whispers.

She closes her eyes and for a second, a _second,_ he swears he can feel her lean into his touch but it happens too fast and then she's gone, away from his touch and he can't be sure it ever really happened. ''I lost it all, Dean,'' she says, her voice thick with unshed tears. ''Everyone that ever meant anything to me....they're all gone. I even....'' She crosses her arms (he notices she does that a lot, almost like she's trying to protect her heart) and looks at the ground. ''....I even lost....._me._''

He wants to tell her that she's right here. She's right here and she's going to be okay because he's going to make her be okay but the words don't come out no matter how hard he tries.

''I used to be somebody,'' she says, focusing her gaze on something in the distance that isn't there. ''I used to be Trish _Wellington_ and now....'' She stops and draws in a deep breath that rattles and shakes. ''I keep....wanting to go home. Only....I don't know where home is. I don't even know who _I_ am anymore.''

He keeps it together, eyes on her even as she breaks and fractures apart in front of him. He'd like to try and fix her, but there are things she needs to say, to get out. It's been how long since the tragic events on this island? And has she ever really dealt with it all? Knowing her; probably not. ''Who do you want to be?'' She doesn't answer right away and he can see her pursing her lips like she does when she's thinking hard and it unnerves him slightly that he _knows_ what she does when she's thinking hard.

''I...I don't know. Trish was....Trish was bright and vibrant, Ruby is dark and dreary. But Trish....she was a weakling, she let that....that _monster_ walk all over her, she was a whiny, spoiled rotten princess but...people loved her.'' Her voice breaks and her eyes meet his, pleading for him to take her away from it all. ''People loved her so much, Dean. And she loved them back so...so fiercely it made her ache a little inside. And when it all ended, that was what changed her. Her stupid fucking love for everyone. She could have beat Henry, she could have ran, but she didn't because she didn't want to live without him. She could have _fought harder_, Dean! But she didn't.'' She stops to catch her breath and there's an aching in his throat and pressure building behind his eyes and he can't say anything. She just reminds him so much of.....

....No.

A few stray tears have fallen down her ashen cheeks, but she swipes them away at top speed. ''Do you....Do you know what Trish used to do?'' Her voice is back to dead and hollow, he can tell she's working very hard to at least try to keep it together but her alcohol intake (she stumbles when she takes a step and her words are slightly slurred) is making it damned near impossible.

''No,'' he forces himself to speak. ''What?''

''She baked,'' she deadpans, adding a dry laugh. ''That's what she used to do. She baked. When things....got hard and crumbled down around her, she would bake. It was easy, simple. Everything that life wasn't. Life is always unpredictable and baking....isn't. Wasn't.''

It's an incredibly random fact but at least she's opening up and isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?

''That's who Trish was. A quitter, a baker and a girl with people who cared. Ruby....well, Ruby's a bitch. An unholy creature made from darkness and betrayal that shouldn't even exist. You know, there are moments for Ruby, when the screaming in her head gets so loud and she feels the knife twisting into her like she's Trish again and she thinks maybe she should just let it end, finish what Henry started. But do you know what the really sick thing is?'' She smiles at him, something about it makes chills run up and down his spine and he feels his body tensing and his breathing quickening. ''Sometimes when Ruby thinks about that....all she can feel is relief. Because, let's face it; Ruby has _nothing_.''

Something inside of him snaps and he just can't take this anymore, her words are piercing and sharp and his silence is driving him crazy. ''Hey!'' He grabs her, even though he probably shouldn't, gripping her arms tight and pulling her to him, eyes intense and frustrated. There isn't anybody else in the world that can get him going like she can. ''_Ruby_ is this brilliant, brave, loyal, fiercely protective, strong, kick ass, _annoyingly_ beautiful woman who has these two guys pretty much at her beck and call for now, which, _believe me_, won't last long. _Ruby_ doesn't just lie down and take_ anything_, she fights. And _Ruby_ has people who care about her, she could have so many more if she'd just let people in! So you tell me; what is so wrong with being _Ruby_? Because from where I'm standing, she seems pretty fucking awesome.'' He's breathing heavily by the time he's finished, he can see his breath in the cold air and also - holy crap. He just told her she's awesome. That's....That's really embarrassing and way too chick flick for him. This whole thing is bordering on breaking his 'no chick flick moments' rule.

She stares up at him with big blue eyes and trembling lips and he's probably going to hell for thinking about something like this while an obviously distressed woman is begging and pleading with her eyes but, the only thing he's thinking about is how badly he wants her.

''How...'' Her voice sounds small, soft and quiet, bordering on child like as her fingernails dig into his skin and he doesn't even wince. ''How can you see something in me that I don't even see?''

His cocky smirk slides across his lips naturally and he shrugs his shoulders. ''I'm very observant.''

She silences, but carefully disentangles herself from his grasp, turning away to the horizon where the sun has finally disappeared. With slow, steady steps she moves towards the edge, stopping before she reaches the end. And all he can do is stare after her. He thinks she's just thinking, watching as the moon and the stars come out for the night. But then she falls. Like a broken porcelain doll, she caves into herself and crumples to the ground, a fragmented mess of shivering and loud sobs that pierce through the new night air.

''Ruby...'' He hesitates a moment and then moves forwards at lightning speed, crouching in front of her, gently brushing tears off her cheeks. ''Honey...'' It won't dawn on him until later that he called her 'honey' and when he does, he'll wish he had a drink of his own.

''You shouldn't!'' She cries out, desperately reaching out to grasp at his arm. ''You shouldn't see anything in me. I'm not...I'm not good, Dean, I'm bad. I'm evil.''

''What?'' His voice sounds strained as he brings his hands to her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. ''No. No, you're not, Ruby. There is not one bad bone in your body.''

''Yes, there is,'' she moans, covering her face with a shaking hand when he lets go, her body heaving with uncontrollable sobs. ''You don't know what I've done!''

''What you've done? Ruby, you saved - ''

''I killed them!''

Yeah. She's definitely wasted.

''I killed them all!'' She sobs. ''It's my fault, it's all my fault. I brought Henry into my family's life, I said yes, oh....God....my father....I killed him, I killed my father!'' She breaks off in gulping sobs and he feels a sigh working its way up inside him.

He knows exactly how she feels. The memories feel like knives slashing through his flesh, they come fast and hard like a downpour. He remembers his father dying for him and it still hurts, but not as much as it used to. The guilt is still suffocating at times and there are times when the screams still claw in his throat but it isn't as bad as it used to be. He looks down at the fragile woman who has collapsed into his arms (actually, she's_ launched _herself into his arms, nearly knocking him onto his back) and he hates that she's living with the same feeling. It's the last thing he wants for her. ''Ruby,'' he murmurs, voice soft and barely audible. ''What happened was _not_ your fault.''

''N-No, Dean, it was. If...If I had said no - ''

''If you had said no, Henry would have found someone else and done the same thing.''

''They didn't deserve to die like that! They didn't. They didn't, they didn't, they didn't....'' Her fingers clutch at his shirt and her barely coherent sobs of ''they didn't'' become ''I didn't'' and the only thing he can do is hold her tighter wait for her to be okay again. Even if it takes forever. Eventually, her hysterical, drunken screams and cries die down to quiet, muffled sobs and he closes his eyes, letting out a breath. She's finally calming down and he's beginning to think about getting her out of here and into bed but that's when her hands are roughly shoving him away and she's mumbling ''no'' over and over as she crawls away from him. He blinks after her, too surprised to say anything for a moment and when he opens his mouth to speak, she cuts him off with a frantic shriek of, ''Stop it! Please stop trying to comfort me. I don't deserve it, Dean! I don't deserve anything! Don't you understand?! I killed my father! I'm a murderer!'' She scrambles to her feet, backing away from him like he's a terrifying monster.

''Ruby,'' his voice is irritated as he rises to his feet. ''_Stop_ saying that.''

''You don't understand!'' She bursts out. ''You don't know what it's like. You don't know how this feels! You didn't kill your father!''

''Yes, I did!'' His voice comes out louder than he expected, a frustrated, angered, slightly broken shout as he closes in on her, purposefully ignoring the way her face pales in shock. ''Yes, I did, Ruby! Okay? I....I should be dead right now, but I'm not because my dad made a deal. He made a deal to....to save my life. Like father, like son I guess.'' He folds his arms over his chest and looks at her with blank eyes. ''Yeah, I know what it's like. I know how it feels to have that guilt weighing you down. How heavy it is....it feels like the weight of the world. I know what it's like to be terrified to look in the mirror, I know, Ruby.''

She sniffles and looks at him, there's regret spreading in her eyes like a wildfire. ''I....I didn't know that.''

''Well, now you do.'' The words come out harsher then he intended but he swallows and can't quite manage to feel sorry about it.

''I'm sorry,'' she whispers.

''I don't want you to be _sorry_. I just want you to be _Ruby_.''

''But....'' She takes a cautious step towards him, tongue darting out to lick her lips as she stares at him with curiosity and a desperate need for him to tell her what to do. ''How do you deal with it, Dean? The guilt. How....How can you just forget?''

He thinks about that for a moment and then shakes his head. ''Not forget, Ruby. That's impossible. There....is no forgetting. My dad died so I could live. So I live. And if your father was here, would he tell you to live?''

She sniffles and nods slowly, answering with a timid sounding, ''Yes.''

''Then that is what we do, that's how we deal with it. At the end of the day, our fathers are dead but we are still _here_ and....all we can do is live.''

''It hurts,'' she mutters. ''_All _of the _time_.''

He blinks and says hoarsely, ''It gets better. It passes.'' And that's the truth. Over time, it'll get better. It won't hurt all of the time, but it'll still hurt.

''It will?'' She whispers and she sounds so fragile he'd really like to take her away from all of this. ''It passes?''

He nods slowly and takes a step towards her. When she doesn't move away, doesn't run like a terrified deer, he takes another step and feels strangely compelled to reach out and touch her. ''It passes. It helps if you're not alone. You....You're not alone, Ruby, you're not.''

She looks at him through red and bloodshot eyes, bringing a shaking hand up to wipe her eyes. ''Dean,'' her voice is a whisper, it's raw and thick with emotion, but he doesn't care because it's her voice and her voice is just as beautiful as it always is. ''I think.....I think I need help...will you...will you help me?'' And she's staring at him with those big blue doe eyes and never in a million years would he be able to say no to her. ''Will you help me be okay again? Because I....I don't think I can do this alone anymore.''

''I'll help you,'' he promises. ''Sam and I....we're both going to help you.''

And then he reaches her.

She's still weeping soundlessly, but he chalks that up to the alcohol and he brushes a few tears off her cheeks. She makes a noise halfway between a moan and a sob, letting her head fall onto his chest. ''I need to tell you something.''

He sucks in a breath and braces himself. ''There's more?''

Her breathing is ragged, but she's stopped crying which has to be a good sign. ''I think I might be....a little bit....drunk.''

He lets out a breath and with it a chuckle, earning himself a swat from her. ''You don't say.'' Gently, he pulls her off him and gives her a onceover, looking at her so carefully it's as if he can see all her scars.

''I'm kind of tired,'' she admits. ''And my head hurts. And....'' She frowns in confusion and peers up at him through her eyelashes. ''Have you always been this tall?''

Huh. It's a rare occasion when _he's_ the tall one. ''Uh...yeah.'' A small bark of nervous laughter escapes his lips as he looks at her slightly glazed over eyes, trying to determine if it's just the tears making her eyes shine. ''Listen, darlin', how about we get you back to the motel?''

''No.'' She shakes her head stubbornly and pulls away, looking up at the stars. ''I don't....I want to stay here. Can we?'' She closes her eyes and breathes slowly. ''Can we just sit here for a few minutes?''

And he already knows he's going to regret this but, ''....Okay.''

* * *

He regrets it. He knew he would.

Over the course of fifteen minutes he's learned she is a very emotional and slightly wacky drunk. With no internal censor. She says whatever comes to mind and she's too drunk to care. She alternates between crying and laughing, when she's not moaning about the past, she's giggling and mumbling out, ''The stars, they're talking to me, Dean.''

To which he replies, ''You drank an _entire_ bottle of tequila, Ruby. I'm sure they are.'' She's a demon, which means no alcohol poisoning but she's going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning.

''Daddy bought me a telescope once,'' she says and then promptly bursts into tears.

He groans beside her and wraps an arm around her when she falls into him, sobbing into her hands. She's a pretty crier, another thing he's learned. It's not the way her eyes get red and bloodshot, it's not the way her cheeks glisten with tears and her nose runs. It's the way her lips tremble delicately. It's the way her eyes shine with the vulnerability she rarely shows. There's just something about the way she looks, like she might break if he touches her, that's somehow beautiful to him. Beside her, he draws in a breath and plucks out his cell phone with his free hand. ''Ruby,'' he warns, ''do _not_ go to sleep, I'm not carrying your drunken ass all the way back to the motel.''

She sniffles and looks up at him with a wobbly smile. She opens her mouth to say something and then pauses, blinking and staring at him closely.

''What?''

''You have nice eyes.''

He clears his throat awkwardly and flips open his phone. ''...Thanks.''

She sighs, looping her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder. ''You're sweet,'' she mumbles. ''And....hot. You're really hot. Did you know that?''

''Yes, actually,'' he flashes her a grin. ''I am one handsome devil, aren't I?''

''And full of yourself too,'' she mutters. When she looks up at him her eyes are suddenly serious and he thinks maybe this isn't the alcohol talking. ''Dean, you....make me......you make me feel....'' She trails off like she's searching for the right words and he waits on baited breath. And then, much to his dismay, he watches her face pale and grimaces because he's pretty sure he knows what's coming next. Quickly, she crawls away from him and leans over, throwing up the alcohol churning around in her stomach.

He sighs heavily and presses speed dial. ''I make you feel barfy,'' he mutters with a roll of his eyes. ''Ain't that grand.'' Absently reaching over to pull her hair out of her face, he sighs again and puts the phone to his ear, hoping she won't remember this particular moment tomorrow.

_''Dean? Is she okay?''_

''Dude,'' Dean glances over at her and grimaces. ''Problem.''

_''....I don't like the way that sounds.''_

''Get your ass up here. We got a code tequila on our hands.''

* * *

On the ground with her back against the wall, Ruby looks up through bleary eyes when Sam appears, her mouth curved downwards into a frown. ''Dean,'' she turns to him innocently. ''What is his name?'' And that's when he's pretty sure she's not only drunk but insane as well.

''Sam,'' he says patiently.

''Sam!'' She cheers and a small, half smile flickers across her face as she stares up at the younger Winchester. ''My, you're awfully tall, aren't you?''

Sam looks at her and....isn't quite sure what to say to that. He tries, but comes up empty handed and ends up turning accusing eyes to his brother. ''What did you do to her?''

Dean rolls his eyes and pushes off the ground. ''_I_ didn't do anything. She was drunk when I got here.''

''What did you talk about?''

''My father,'' Ruby says proudly.

Tensing slightly, Dean squeezes his eyes shut and grimaces, waiting for it to come. When she lets out a pathetic sounding sob, Sam looks mildly alarmed, while Dean just looks like he's ready to throttle her. ''It's okay, she does that.''

''Dean...'' Her voice takes on a pleading edge, barely audible.

He turns towards her, looking more patient then he feels, giving her a gentle smile. ''You're okay.'' She sniffles and rubs at her eyes like a small child who has missed nap time. Dean nods and looks at the slightly horrified look on his brother's face. ''_Yeah_. All night, Sammy, all night long.''

''Well, crap.''

''Help me get her up.'' The brothers gently take her hands and haul her to her feet. ''C'mon, boozy,'' Dean murmurs, draping one of her arms around his neck.

''Where are we going?'' She asks brightly. ''Are we going to get more tequila? I like tequila.''

''Absolutely not. We're going to get you back to the motel so you can sleep it off, how does that sound?''

She scowls. ''Don't wanna.''

''Ruby, don't be a child.''

Her eyes suddenly grow wide and terrified as she turns to Dean. ''N-No, I-I don't want to sleep. The dream....I'll have the dream. I don't want to have the dream.''

''Ruby,'' Sam says and it seems impossible but he sounds even more patient than Dean. ''It's all right; we'll be there, okay? We're not going to let anything happen to you.''

She clutches at Dean's jacket tighter but nods anyway. ''O-Okay.'' And then she smiles shakily and tilts her head to the side, eyes on Sam. ''What's your name?''

* * *

The motel is five blocks away and Dean is about one hundred percent sure Ruby will not make it that far. Oh, damn. He's going to have to carry her, isn't he? Block one passes by quickly because they're just relieved she made it down the stairs without falling and taking them with her. Block two is more difficult because she just won't shut up. Going back and forth between giggling and sobbing, she's really starting to drive them crazy.

''I miss my car,'' Dean whines during block three.

''I miss it too,'' Sam says.

Ruby scoffs and clicks her tongue at them. ''I can walk on my own, boys, I'm not an invalid.'' She huffs and shoves them both away from her ungracefully. She sends them both a wide grin, a messy wink that doesn't really look like a wink and turns to show off her impressive walking skills. She gets exactly five steps and then stumbles and falls sideways into some trash cans. She lets loose a few expletives and then mutters out a muffled, ''At least I didn't fall into the pool.''

And then she starts to cry again.

''Fuck,'' Dean mumbles and rushes forwards to help her. Somehow, instead of helping her, he ends up falling right next to her and for a moment, they both look drunk. Ruby laughs loudly at the spectacle Dean's making of himself, he curses and finally he manages to pull them both to their feet only to find his brother is laughing at them. ''What?'' He snaps out. ''What's so funny? This isn't funny.''

''You two make quite the pair,'' Sam laughs.

Behind Dean, with her arms wrapped around his neck, Ruby giggles and peeks out from behind him. ''Peek-a-boo!'' She is officially losing it and there is no way they're going to make it. Sobering slightly (interesting choice of words) she looks at Sam and arches an eyebrow. ''Have you told me your name yet?''

''Several times.''

''Okie dokie.''

On block four she cries and babbles about her sister and her niece, won't look up from the safety of Dean's chest and they get a lot of odd looks from the townspeople. And then....all goes quiet. They're fully expecting her to giggle and smile and ask Sam his name but she remains totally silent, swiping at her eyes and that worries them more than the crying. But amazingly enough, they do in fact make it all the way back to the motel. They're just approaching the stairs when she moans and goes limp, slumping against the nearest Winchester, who happens to be Sam. He manages to catch her before she slides to the ground, her eyes are closed and it's obvious she's done for the night.

''Huh,'' Dean remarks. ''Probably should have seen that one coming.'' Heaving a sigh, he carefully takes her from Sam's arms and tells him to go open the door. ''Sweetheart,'' he says with a shake of his head. ''What are we going to do with you?'' He carries her up the stairs, which is a pain in the ass but he does it without complaining once and Sam's got the door open by the time he reaches it. Briefly, just...._briefly,_ he thinks about keeping her in his arms for just a little while longer but shakes that thought off and gently places her on the bed.

The moments pass quickly but they feel like hours and when Sam tells him he's going to go get coffee because it's sure to be a long night, Dean only nods. Now that she's asleep and he doesn't have to worry about her puking all over the place or running into things, he can allow himself to think. The night is slowly replaying in his mind like a movie on fast forward and he's remembering all of the things she said. The way she screamed and cried and raged that it was all her fault.

His green eyes study her sleeping form, the darkness casting shadows on both their faces and he thinks even when she's asleep, she doesn't look as peaceful as she should. Running a hand over his tired face, he collapses into a chair next to the bed and focuses his gaze on the floor, wishing Sam would hurry up with the coffee. When he finally lifts his eyes, a strangled gasp of shock gets caught in his throat and he's looking straight at Thomas Wellington.

The ghost man doesn't react at all as he looks down at his sleeping daughter and that's when Dean notices the phantom tears in the other man's eyes.

_''It's not her fault,''_ he whispers. _''It was never her fault.''_

Dean doesn't say anything because he's getting the impression he shouldn't.

Thomas stares at his baby girl for a long time, bringing a hand to hover just above her cheek. She makes a noise in her sleep and rolls over, he draws his hand back. _''I would never, ever blame this on my daughter,''_ he says passionately. _''She couldn't....help who she loved.''_ He silences, staring down at her so intently Dean's beginning to think maybe he's attempting to wake her up with his mind. Slowly, Thomas looks away from his daughter and towards the other, more alive man. _''You took care of her,''_ he utters and there is nothing but gratitude in his voice.

Dean nods dumbly and has to clear his throat several times before he can come up with, ''I did.''

_''You will take care of her.'' _It's not a question, not a demand; it's just something simple as if the man has somehow seen the future.

''Look,'' Dean says slowly. ''You don't have to like me. You just have to trust me.'' He stands, eye to eye with a ghost. ''I am _not_ Henry.''

_''You're not,''_ Thomas agrees._ ''I see that now. Just....don't push her.''_

''I....Okay. I won't push her.''

_''I should go.''_ He hesitates, looks at Dean and then at the empty space behind the young man._ ''You really don't know, do you?''_

''Know what?''

_''Your father, Dean....he's always with you. And he doesn't blame you either.'' _He smiles, it's a gentle, fatherly smile and suddenly Dean's having all of these flashes of his own father._ ''Maybe....Maybe you can heal my Trish, and maybe she can heal you.''_

This would be where Dean says something stupid or defensive but he just can't seem to make his mouth work. He's not sure what to say, what to think, he just knows the words have made the aching in his throat start again.

_''See you around, Dean.''_ Thomas leans down as if he's going to press a kiss to Ruby's forehead, seconds before his lips would have touched her skin, he disappears and leaves them all alone. Dean swallows hard, sits back down and stares at Ruby for a long time as his own words curl around him like smoke in the night.

_''At the end of the day, our fathers are dead but we are still _here_ and.....all we can do is live.''_

He closes his eyes and thinks of his father's steady hands, dark eyes and deep, rumbling voice that used to make him feel so safe. He feels the air grow colder, a wind without source blows through the room and he keeps his eyes shut tight. And when he feels a ghostly hand on his shoulder, he opens his eyes and looks around the empty room, voice cracking when he whispers.

''Dad?''

**end part four**

* * *

**AN: We're almost finished people! Just one last part. So....did everyone else enjoy Drunk!Ruby as much as I did? Well, get ready for Hungover!Ruby. She **_**probably**_** won't be as lively.**


	5. warm me up

_AN: And here it is. Finally! The last part. I am so sorry for the long wait. Things have been crazy.  
This chapter is dedicated to __**Maisy Chaudhry**__ and __**-Chevy95-**__ who have been loyal reviewers to this story since the beginning. Hope you like the last part guys!_

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Still.

* * *

**I Will Glue You Back Together**

_[part five; warm me up]_

* * *

_Written by Becks Rylynn_

* * *

_i am small  
i'm needy  
warm me up  
and breathe me  
_**-sia, **_**breathe me**_

* * *

Everything feels way too bright.

Is that normal?

Everything feels too bright and too loud and her mouth is fuzzy, her head is pounding and her stomach is churning violently. Moaning pathetically, she rolls over and puts her hands over her eyes. Jesus Christ, why did she drink so much?

''Mornin', sunshine!'' Dean's voice sounds positively too cheerful and she wants to scowl because he's clearly enjoying this but she doesn't have the strength.

Swallowing the awful taste in her mouth, she forces open heavy eyelids and instantly gasps, covering her eyes again, instantly regretting the sharp movement. ''Dean!'' It's supposed to come out in a growl but it sounds more like a whimper, stupid and pathetic and way too weak for her liking.

''Sorry.'' His voice is softer and she waits until its safe and the curtains are closed, shielding her from the bright, bright sunlight before removing her hands from over her eyes.

''Bright,'' she rasps.

He smiles sympathetically and sinks into the chair next to the bed. ''Yeah, sorry about that.''

''Hurt.''

''I know it hurt. Don't worry, it's gone now. How's your head?''

''Loud.''

He sighs and she can see by the way his mouth tightens that he's quickly growing impatient with her one word answers. ''I am _not_ being too loud.''

She pulls a pillow over her face, trying not to make any sudden movements. She knew she didn't get along with tequila and she drank it anyways. God, how stupid can you get? That was a serious lapse of judgment on her part.

''How do you feel?'' Dean asks softly.

She removes the pillow to glare at him. How does she feel? How does he think she feels? ''Bad.''

''Ruby,'' he snaps and she winces when he raises his voice slightly. ''For God's sake, use your words.''

''I feel like shit, okay?!'' Glaring daggers, she huffs and rolls over so her back is to him and she hears him heave a heavy sigh meant only for her. Licking dry lips, she closes her eyes and adamantly refuses to let that embarrassed heat grow in her cheeks.

''Ruby,'' he whispers and she thinks he might say more, but he doesn't. Fine, whatever, she doesn't care. The silence is long and it feels thick, hanging heavy in the air like a dark rain cloud. ''How much do you remember about last night?'' He finally asks and she has to swallow hard, opening her eyes and playing absently with the edge of the worn motel comforter.

''Everything up until we left the rooftop,'' she admits quietly, slowly rolling over to face him. She expects to see that annoying pity in his eyes but all she sees is endlessly blank emerald. When she realizes he isn't going to say anything she lets out a breath and moves a hand to her stomach. And that's when she sees what she's wearing. Startled, she pushes herself up onto her elbows and looks down at her attire with wide eyes. ''Dean....what happened last night?''

''Oh,'' he leans a little closer and shrugs carelessly. ''Well, you hit on me all the way back here and then we tore each other's clothes off and had hot, sweaty animal sex all the live long day.'' And since his face is so blank it is really hard to tell if he's joking or not. ''And_ then_,'' he continues, dramatically. ''You crawled into Sam's bed and did him too. Drunk Ruby is quite the machine.''

She groans and deflates, flopping back into the bed as he grins and laughs much too loudly. ''You're such a dick.''

''Eh,'' he shrugs, unconcerned. ''You love me.''

Pursing her lips, she swallows again and looks at him, feeling a sigh working its way out. ''So, we didn't....?''

He rolls his eyes. ''You woke up in the middle of the night, mumbled something incoherent and then proceeded to throw up all over yourself and pass out.''

''Which is why I'm wearing your shirt?''

''Uh-huh.''

''Dean?''

''Yes, Ruby?''

''....Did you undress me?''

Slowly, a wide, amused smirk stretches across his lips and his eyes twinkle mischievously.

She tries to breathe and weighs her options. Either let loose those nervous, hysterical laughs, blush and shrug it off, or lunge to kill. While the second option is most likely the most sensible, she's leaning towards option three. ''Winchester!'' She grabs a pillow and chucks it at him, giving him no time to duck. ''You pervert!''

''Relax,'' he laughs, holding his hands up. ''I tried, but your ghost pal Chloe came bursting in and pushed me out the door.''

She stiffens and tilts her head to the side. ''Chloe was here?''

''Yeah, and you know what? She didn't even ask if she could use one of my shirts. How rude is that?''

She'd like to say more but her heaving stomach is getting the best of her and if she talks anymore she's sure she's going to be sick. With a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes, she closes her eyes and tries to fall back to sleep. Dean sighs, but doesn't try to stop her, however, the way his eyes are trained on her is kind of making her feel wide awake. Eventually, she's able to relax, exhaustion seeping into her bones. She's almost asleep when the door opens and when she forces heavy eyelids open and sees Sam holding a tray of coffee, the thought of coffee alone makes her sick. Attempting to breathe deeply, she squeezes her eyes shut tighter and tries not to think about the way her stomach is protesting. Unfortunately, that stupid bad luck of hers kicks in and the smell of freshly brewed coffee hits her hard. She's up and running towards the bathroom before either brother can say a word.

The bathroom door slams shut, the sickening sound of retching meets their ears and both Dean and Sam grimace. ''Dude,'' Sam says, sliding his eyes to his brother. ''All you.''

''What? Why? That's no fair.''

''I have a gag reflex.''

''You do not!''

''You're her unresolved sexual tension partner.''

When Dean glowers at him and hisses out a ''Shut up, Sam,'' his voice isn't nearly as lethal and he's already moving towards the bathroom.

Sam shakes his head, smiles and wonders how long it will take them.

* * *

....At least she's getting rid of all the alcohol in her body. It's not very attractive, that's true, but speaking from personal experience Dean knows it's much better to get it out of your system. Even if it is unpleasant.

The instincts that come from being a big brother kick in as soon as he sees her small frame heaving and with a sigh and a roll of his eyes because he has to at least make it_ look _like she still annoys him, he moves beside her and sweeps her hair out of her face.

''G-Go away,'' she pants when there's a break in her retches. ''I'm fine. I don't need....I don't need....'' Whatever she was going to say is cut off when her body gives another violent shudder and the rest of the tequila is expelled from her body.

''Oh yeah, you're just peachy,'' he remarks dryly, even though he has to push back his own nausea because....wow. That's a whole lot of alcohol to throw up. Impressive, she's beat his record. She moans, either in agony or because it's the only thing she can do and he reacts before he can think. ''Okay,'' he speaks in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, rubbing circles on her back. ''It's okay, you're okay.'' All those years of taking care of Sammy are paying off, it seems.

One of her slightly shaky hands reaches up to flush the toilet and she moans again. ''Okay,'' she manages, breathlessly. ''I think I'm done.''

''_Never_ say that,'' he warns. ''That only leads to more - ''

As if on cue, she lurches forwards and gags one last time.

He shakes his head and clicks his tongue in disapproval. ''I_ told _you not to say it.''

''This...'' She flushes the toilet again and gulps in a few breaths of air. ''...This is humiliating.''

''It is,'' he agrees, rising to his feet when she moves to sit back against the bathtub. ''But at least it'll teach you that drinking away your problems doesn't actually make them go away. It just makes them more funny.''

She closes her eyes, putting a hand on her forehead, still working to get a steady breathing pattern. ''Shut _up_, Dean. Like I need life lessons from _you_.''

He blinks at her as he runs a cup under the faucet. ''You're bitchy when you're hung over.''

''Only because you're _enjoying my pain.''_

He smirks a little because he just can't help it and places the cup down, grabbing a face cloth and holding it under the water. ''Well, yeah.''

''Ass.''

''Hey, you were the one stupid enough to drink a bottle of tequila. But if it makes you feel any better next time I get drunk, you can make fun of me.''

''Awesome,'' she deadpans, rubbing her temples. Her head is throbbing painfully, it makes her want to reach in and pluck her eyeballs out in hopes that would dull the pain. With a barely audible sigh, she brings a knee up to her chest and swallows the bitter taste in her mouth.

''All right.'' He turns off the faucet, wringing out the cloth. ''You should - whoa!'' When he turns towards her, he learns apparently Chloe took off more than Ruby's jeans and shirt. ''Ruby!'' He claps a hand over his eyes and tries his damndest not to think. ''Adjust the shirt, woman!''

She does as she's told lightning fast and when he cautiously peeks through his fingers and removes his hand, they're both blushing. He's blinking, trying not to imagine ripping the shirt off her and pressing her against the floor and she's not looking at him, but her lips are just barely curving upwards. There's a tense, awkward moment that he recovers from first with a shake of his head. ''Here.'' He hands her the glass. ''Take slow sips.''

''Is it poisoned?''

''Yep. I poisoned the water.''

She scowls and takes a small sip, still eyeing him suspiciously. When he hands her the cloth, she takes it gratefully and leans back, putting it over her face. ''I think I'm dying.''

''It's called - ''

''Yeah, yeah, a hangover.''

He smiles softly and studies her carefully. He has to look away soon, because he's once again thinking about tearing those pesky clothes off.

''What did I do last night?'' She questions, licking dry lips.

''Fell into some trash cans.''

''Wonderful. Anything else?''

''Now that you mention it....yes. You said you would like to have my children.''

And even though there's a cloth over her face and she's hung over, she's still quick and the next thing he knows she's kicked his feet out from under him, sending him sprawling face down to the dirty floor. ''Ow! What the hell, woman?! Are you insane?''

''Do_ not_,'' she kicks at him, ''call me woman.''

He groans and rolls over onto his back, she resumes rubbing her temples. The door opens and Sam pokes his head in, taking in her the utter misery on her face and his brother on the floor. ''Everything okay in here?''

''Sam,'' she whines, pitifully. ''He's making fun of me while I'm _sick_.''

''She kicked me!''

Sam says, ''Never mind,'' and shuts the door.

Ruby scoffs. ''He was no help at all.''

Dean resists the urge to roll his eyes, scooting next to her against the bathtub. ''Listen, Ruby....'' Suddenly all humor is gone from his eyes. Joking aside, he's remembering last night for about the millionth time (conveniently, he forgets the part where he's_ sure _his father was right next to him) and the concern is quickly returning. ''I'm going to be serious now.''

''That's a shocker.''

''Are you okay?'' He searches her eyes for some sign that she is hiding it all away again and doesn't find anything.

She presses her lips together. ''I'm still here, aren't I?''

He laughs softly and it makes her smile. ''That's good enough for today.'' Before he can somehow manage to talk himself out of it, he leans forwards and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead. If either of them are shocked (and they are) they don't show it, remaining perfectly calm and quiet.

It was just a small gesture; his lips barely grazed her forehead. It shouldn't have meant as much as it did.

But it was_ something._

* * *

Eventually, after she is given a much needed aspirin, Dean and Sam force food down her throat and she's back in her _own_ clothes, she realizes she has somewhere she needs to be. The boat leaves at two and she needs to be on it. At 12:00 she shrugs into her jacket and tells the boys she has something to do. Despite their protests, she slips out the door at 12:04 and by 12:17 she's standing in front of the Candlewick again. She hesitates once again, for different reasons this time.

She's just afraid to let go. For so long she's held onto them and now she has to say goodbye.

Forcing herself to breathe slowly, she goes forwards. When she enters the front door, shutting it behind her, she can hear voices coming from another room. Walking quickly, just in case they disappear, she soon finds herself standing in a doorway watching some dead people play poker. And that's just not something you see every day.

_''Full house!''_ Chloe declares, laying her cards down face up on the table as she leaps to her feet and throws her hands up in victory.

_''Oh, come on!''_ Sully complains, tossing his own cards down._ ''That is so unfair. Give someone else a chance to win, Chlo. Namely, me.''_

_''She's cheating,''_ JD announces._ ''She has to be cheating.''_

_''Not cheating,''_ she singsongs, _''just totally great!''_

JD shakes his head in disappointment and then stiffens suddenly. _''Hold on. Someone in this room is alive.''_

_''Well, it's not _me,_''_ Sully says like the comment has actually _offended _him.

_''Ruby! You're here!''_ Chloe grins widely and bounces over to her friend, coming to a stop in front of Ruby. _''Ohmigod, it's so good to see you! How are you? I love your hair, I'm so glad you came. We were wondering when you would show. See my rock?''_ Overdramatically, she thrusts her left hand towards Ruby, proudly displaying her engagement ring.

Ruby blinks and has to take a moment to decipher what her friend just said. ''Wow, Chloe, it's...it's great. Very pretty.''

Chloe sighs dreamily and admires her ring. _''Isn't it?''_

_''Yeah, yeah,''_ Sully steps up beside her, rolling his eyes. _''Nobody wants to hear about your perfect, wonderful, awesome love, mmkay?''_

_''You're just jealous.''_

_''Puh-lease. For all you know, I could have a girlfriend.''_

_''Oh yeah?''_ JD crosses his arms and grins (really, JD Dunn actually grins. Widely) sending Sully a look._ ''Who? Muffin?''_

_''Ha! Oh, poor Sully,''_ Chloe cackles._ ''Stuck with a doll for the rest of eternity.''_

_''Ru-_by_,'' _Sully's voice takes on a slight whining tone as he turns his gaze to the other, very much alive blonde in the room. _''Make them stop. It's not Gang Up on Sully Day.''_

Ruby smiles softly, leaning against the doorway. ''You guys....seem much happier.''

_''We are,'' _Chloe says. _''Thanks to you.''_

JD clears his throat loudly, earning himself a sigh from Sully. _''Yes, JD, you were good too.''_

_''I thought I was awesome,''_ he mutters in response.

There's a smile, a huge, wide, Trish-worthy smile tugging at the corners of Ruby's lips. They all seem so vibrant, like they used to be. Almost alive. If she didn't know they were ghosts, she would think they were just ordinary people. ''So,'' she clears her throat and pushes off the door, moving over to a discarded chair and sinking into it, crossing her legs demurely. ''Don't you three have some kind of ultimate reward to go on to or something?''

Chloe laughs, _''You actually thought we'd leave without saying goodbye? C'mon, girlfriend, we're not completely dead inside.''_ At the look she gets in response, she shrugs and smiles sheepishly._ ''Okay; poor choice of words.''_

''Do I....'' Ruby pauses and licks her lips, feeling the thump thump of her heart speed up. ''Do I have to? Say goodbye, I mean. Do I have to do that?''

_''It's just a part of life,''_ JD says simply.

_''We can't stay here forever,''_ Sully adds._ ''Being a ghost is dullsville.''_

''But I - ''

_''You are going to be just fine. Trust me.''_

''I'm not sure I believe you. Yet.''

_''Ruby,''_ Chloe moves to stand behind her friend, fiddling with the other woman's hair. (Ruby remembers all of the times Chloe used to fuss with her hair because ''Oh, _Trish,_ is that _really_ how you're going to wear your hair?'')_ ''You'll be okay, we know it. You're a strong, fierce, capable woman. Not to mention you've got the Winchesters on your side. And can I just say....''_ She leans down to catch Ruby's eye briefly._ ''Dean? Totally and completely lickable.''_

Ruby offers her a small smirk in response. ''Lickable?''

_''And you totally know it.''_

_''Girls,''_ Sully speaks up, a slight hint of disgust in his voice. _''We're still here. Thank you for those images that will never fade.''_

_''Listen, Trish,''_ JD flops lazily into another chair and shoots her a look. _''Everything will be all right in the end. If it's not all right, it's not the end.''_

Sully gasps loudly, pointing an accusing finger in the other man's direction. _''Plagiarizer! You _stole_ that!''_

_''....Is it that obvious?''_

_''Yeah! Everyone knows that quote. Dude, come up with your own stuff.''_

Rolling her eyes, Chloe huffs impatiently and grabs Ruby's hand, pulling her to her feet and dragging her out of the room, away from the bickering ghost men. ''Chloe, what - ''

_''Sorry, they were getting on my nerves. I can't think with them yapping on and on, let alone have a serious conversation.'' _And then she smiles brightly and wraps an arm around her friend. _''Trish....''_

Ruby stills at the sound of her old name, pursing her lips as all of the memories of a very happy and very alive Chloe bombard her. The way her smile was always so big and wide, her shameless flirting, the things life was going to bring her, all of the things she had taken for granted. But then she's jolted back to the present and Chloe is still smiling and her hand is still in Ruby's as she looks at her with those kind and gentle eyes.

_''Sweetie,''_ her voice is incredibly soft, caring and sweet. _''You have to let us go now, you know you do. We are _dead_. Our lives have come to an end. It's just the way things are. We've all accepted that, now it's time you did.''_

''I know. It's just....'' Ruby pauses and trails off briefly. ''I still think if I had just done something more....''

_''Don't think that,''_ Chloe says firmly. _''Don't get stuck in the past, Trish. It's done. You can't change it.''_ Her smile falters, ghost tears shimmering and shining in her eyes. _''You know....I thank God everyday that you're still alive.''_

''Really?'' Ruby chuckles dryly and wraps her arms around her middle. ''I don't.''

Chloe laughs, a choked sounding laugh as she nods her head._ ''I've noticed. But you will. It'll just take time. One of these days, you're going to wake up on a bright sunny day, and the skies will be blue and you'll be happy and....you'll understand.''_

''Understand what?''

Chloe's smile changes, it gets wider, almost like she knows everything. She gives Ruby's hand a gentle squeeze like she's trying to give her strength._ ''Why you're still here.''_

Ruby doesn't say anything, her throat hurts too much. But the words mean a lot. She thinks about that day, about waking up feeling happy and that tiny feeling of hope that's lived inside of her, buried under dark thoughts, grief and guilt, gets a little bigger and brighter. ''You think so?''

_''Someday,''_ Chloe says confidently. _''Everything will be okay again.''_

''I hope you're right.''

_''Don't worry; I usually am.'' _There's a brief moment of silence between the two friends and they can both feel the heaviness in the air because Chloe's time is running short and she has to go. _''Cal's waiting for me,''_ the ghost finally murmurs, breathlessly, placing her left hand over her heart._ ''Everyone is. You...You shouldn't worry about us, Trish, we'll be fine.''_

Of course they will. They get to go into the light. ''I know.''

_''I will see you again, you know. Nobody lives forever.''_

''That's....That's actually really morbid, Chlo.''

_''I'm allowed to be morbid, I'm dead.''_ And before Ruby has a chance to say anything, Chloe has wrapped ghostly arms around her friend and her voice is whispering softly in her ear, _''Don't say you'll miss us, Trish, don't spend every moment thinking about 'what ifs.' Just live your life. You deserve it.''_

Ruby closes her eyes briefly and tells herself she won't cry again because it seems like that's all she's done on this island. When she opens her eyes, she suddenly realizes she can't feel Chloe's arms anymore. Sure enough, the space in front of her is empty and Chloe is gone. She doesn't cry, even though she feels the tears pricking her eyes. Chloe is happy, she's somewhere safe with Cal and that's all that matters. Eyes burning, throat stinging, she turns and goes back to the other ghosts, Chloe's words ringing in her ears. _''You have to let us go now, you know you do.'' _Sully and JD have silenced when she steps back into the room, she can feel that same thickness in the air that tells her it's time for them to go. She draws in a deep, calming breath and sits down slowly, letting a silence that doesn't feel uncomfortable at all take over.

It's just them. Three of Henry's victims, the three that cared about him the most. His brother, his best friend and his bride. There's still betrayal in their eyes, but they suspect that will always be there. Maybe, just maybe, that's okay.

Sully is the one who finally breaks the silence; his voice isn't nearly as humorous as it always is. _''Do you think....''_ He stops to clear his throat, leaning against the wall._ ''Do you think he was always....?''_

''No,'' she utters, hoarsely, shaking her head. ''He wasn't always....Somewhere along the way,'' and this is where her throat aches so bad she can barely manage to get out her next words, ''he just got lost.''

JD shoves his hands into his pockets, looking uncomfortable and sullen, slumped ungracefully in a chair. He sighs after a moment, sits up straight and trains his eyes on her. _''Do you still love him?''_

''No,'' she snarls it out vehemently and she wants so desperately to believe it but then she stops and thinks about it for a moment. ''....Maybe.....some small part of me will always....he was my first real....I thought he was....'' She trips through her explanation without a smidge of grace, her eyes cast downwards and then she finally gives up and looks up at them with glassy eyes. ''He was_ Henry_....you know?'' They don't say anything, she sniffles and wipes at her eyes before any tears can fall. ''That man....that monster at the end....that wasn't Henry. It couldn't have been.''

_''What if it was?''_ JD whispers, challenging her. There's something in his voice that makes her look at him closer and that's when she sees his eyes are shining too._ ''What if he.....What if it was?''_

She shrugs, pushing hair out of her eyes. ''Then I guess we were all just fools.''

_''Not fools,''_ Sully says stubbornly. _''We just loved him.''_

_''Same thing, really,''_ JD mutters under his breath.

_''Hey,''_ Sully smiles suddenly and it brightens the whole room. He takes a seat on the cold ground, eyes somewhere far away from here. _''Do you remember that time you and Henry went on a date with me and....''_ He trails off, frowning and scratching the back of his neck._ ''Uh....oh! Lydia! That was her name.''_

She laughs, even though there are tears in her eyes. For the first time in a long time, it feels good to remember. ''Oh, god, that was a disaster.''

_''We stood in the rain for hours just to get into that club and then when we finally did - ''_

''I slipped and sprained my ankle and you got a right hook from your date's boyfriend.''

_''I didn't know she had a boyfriend.''_

''I remember....Henry...he didn't even sigh. Just took control of the whole horrible situation.''

_''I remember he carried you around all night. That was an accomplishment,''_

She arches an eyebrow. ''What is that supposed to mean?''

JD lets out a bark of laughter. _''Congratulations, you're still offending the chicks, dude.''_

Sully rolls his eyes and shoots JD a look, but doesn't say anything, soon focusing his eyes back on Ruby. _''Do you remember what happened after that?''_

''I...remember he said he wasn't going to let either of us go home without having fun so he took us to this crappy little black and white movie theatre and made us sit through a bunch of old movies.''

_''Yeah. But it was a good night.''_

She smiles, wistfully. ''It was.''

Their eyes move to JD expectantly and he glares at them, snapping out a, _''What?''_

_''Dude, nostalgia time.''_

_''No.''_

_''Come on.''_

Eventually, JD does give in, tilting his head back like he's annoyed._ ''Ugh, fine. Uh....'' _He thinks about it for a second and when he looks back at them, his eyes are sadder and not as hard edged as before._ ''There was this one time, I did something....less than excellent and I was so sure I was going to get beaten up by these big biker dudes and then Henry steps in and smooth talks them and I'm free. Man,''_ he shakes his head. _''Henry could be...so damn charming when he wanted to be.''_

Ruby bites her lip wordlessly. She could remember Henry's charms very well. He was the only man who had put her under such a spell that every word that came out of his mouth sounded like magic to her. ''Hey,'' a voice says and it takes her a moment to realize it's her voice. She offers them both a slow, sad smile. ''Do you...Do you miss him like I do?'' As soon as she forces the words out, she feels this intense wave of a very different kind of guilt that makes her want to blush. (No, that voice in the back of her head is _not_ saying ''What about Dean?'') ''It's not like I want him back or anything,'' she murmurs, defensively. ''That part of my life is over. I don't even really miss _him_. I miss...the idea of him. I miss....the way things used to be, the person he was, the man he should have been....that's the Henry I miss.'' She finishes, looking at them both begging them to say something and in the end, it's JD who speaks up quietly.

_''I forget things about him,''_ he admits, _''like....the way he smiled, or the sound of his laughter and that....hurts because....because Henry killed me and then when I was dead he came and killed me some more but he was....he was still my brother and I don't want to just forget him.''_

''You won't,'' she soothes and finds it strange that she's the one doing the comforting for once. ''He was your brother, you'll never forget that. You can't.''

_''I miss him,''_ Sully whispers, his voice sounding raw and broken. _''Everyday.''_

They allow themselves to remember for a moment, because Henry Dunn wasn't always bad and they had all loved him even if he had betrayed them in the end. Love isn't something that can be easily taken away, you know? It's something that always leaves imprints sketched onto your soul.

_''Oh,''_ Sully says suddenly, eyes straying to the ceiling. And then he smiles that same old Sully smile and rises to his feet. _''Dude,''_ he spares a glance at JD and then his eyes are on her again. _''I think it's time to go.''_

_''....Yeah,''_ JD murmurs and stands.

She doesn't try to protest this time; what's the point? She merely swallows down tears and smiles as she stands. ''You know, I'm always going to wish things were different.''

_''Mmmhmm, but they're not,''_ JD shrugs. _''You can't change that.''_

_''So, Trish,''_ Sully mentions, casually. _''You think if you die...maybe you and I could....?''_ He waggles his eyebrows suggestively, earning a roll of the eyes from his ghostly companion and a laugh from Ruby.

''What if I'm taken when I die?''

He smirks. _''By Dean? Oh yeah, I'm real sure he'd love to take you. Seriously, you seen the way he looks at you?'' _She puts a hand on her hip and sends him a glare but....she doesn't exactly say no either. He laughs and steps towards her, leaning down to brush cold lips to her cheek. _''I'll be seeing you, Trish.''_ She closes her eyes and when she opens them, he's gone, but she's not really surprised. Tilting her head to the side, she turns her blue eyed gaze to JD and doesn't say a thing.

_''I don't do that,'' _he says. _''That whole hugging and kissing thing? I don't do that.''_

''Okay.''

_''I should go.''_

''Wait!'' She stumbles forwards and it's almost like she's been pushed. ''JD....thank you.''

_''For what?''_

''You know....what you did. In the woods.''

He laughs softly and shakes his head. _''I didn't do much. You were the one who kicked the crap out of him, I just finished him off.''_

She crosses her arms, smiling softly at him. ''Still, I don't think I would have been able to do that for....a lot of reasons.'' She pauses and then a thought hits her that makes her bite her lip. ''And I'm....I'm sorry,'' she adds, shifting in discomfort when he sends her a quizzical look. ''There was a time when I thought you were the one who....had killed my....'' She trails off and has to swallow, trying to get the image of her father's dead body out of her mind. It's been awhile but it still feels fresh in her mind and it still hurts like it was just yesterday. ''I said and thought some pretty horrible things about you and I'm just sorry. It wasn't your fault, none of it was.''

He smiles at her and she can't help but think it's the most serene smile she's ever seen on JD Dunn's face._ ''You want to make it up to me, Trish? Just live.''_

She opens her mouth to speak but he's gone before she can say anything, disappearing right before her eyes. She remains standing in place for a moment, fully expecting that horrible hurt to kick in because she's all alone again. It never does. _Now_ it's over. Now she can go and move on with her life. The pressure has been lifted off her chest and she can breathe again. She knows someday it will be okay again. After a few minutes pass, her blue eyes wander around the familiar room and she watches as the dust swirls around in the air. Turning to leave, she lets her eyes scan the room one last time, remembering everything that happened in the past and then she starts for the door.

She's just reached out and gripped the doorknob when she feels that feeling in her gut. It's something awfully familiar, something she hasn't felt in a long time, it makes her breath catch in her throat and she's sure she must be dreaming. ''Please,'' her voice comes out in a strangled whisper, she squeezes her eyes shut. ''Be there when I turn around.'' The words come out like a prayer whispered to the air and slowly, she turns around.

In this old place, there is in fact, one old ghost that still remains.

Unlike last time, he is not standing in the shadows, he's standing in the light and she has a perfect view of his face. She is so adamant she is not going to cry anymore, she is not going to be that horribly weepy girl, but there are tears filling her eyes again and she just doesn't care. These are a completely different kind of tears anyway. ''Daddy?''

His lips curve upwards into that smile she remembers and her hands fly to her mouth because it's _him._ It's _Dad._

_''Hello, Trish,''_ he greets in that same voice she once knew so well.

She thinks she should move, rush forwards and launch herself into his arms like she used to (even though he's technically a ghost) but she's too stunned to move. ''Is it you?'' She finally croaks out, taking one step forwards, reaching out to grip the wall for support. ''Are you really here?''

His smile widens ever so slightly and she watches as he moves towards her at an agonizingly slow pace. _''Yes, sweetheart, I'm really here.''_

The tears drip slowly down her cheeks, she feels a wave of cold air hit her and the next thing she knows, her father's arms are around her. And it's him. It's him, it's him, it's him, its _daddy._ His arms are colder than they used to be but they're still just as safe and she still loves him just as much.

''Daddy,'' she's sobbing into his chest. ''I miss you.''

_''I haven't gone anywhere,''_ he murmurs into her hair._ ''I've always been right here.''_

She pulls away somewhat reluctantly, looking into those eyes she thought were lost to her forever. No. He hasn't always been right here. For over a year she has been all alone. Without him. ''You died, dad,'' she mutters, thickly. ''You died and you left me here all alone.'' She brings a hand to her cheek, swiping away tears, desperately trying to control her emotions. ''I didn't have anyone.'' She steps away from him. ''For the longest time, it was just me. The Winchesters didn't trust me, Shea didn't - doesn't - know I'm alive, I was alone.'' She sighs and looks down, slightly embarrassed. ''Just....don't tell me you were always there because you weren't.''

He doesn't say anything for the longest time and she starts to worry he's disappeared again, causing her to lift her eyes to make sure he's still there. He is. And he's still smiling; only now his eyes are worn and sad as he closes the distance between them, placing a hand on her cheek._ ''Oh, Trish....Sweetheart, I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone.''_

She sniffles and crosses her arms uncomfortably, staring at the floor like a moody teenager as she mumbles out an, ''Its fine.''

_''It's not fine,''_ he insists, lifting her chin. _''You didn't have anyone and that's not fair. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, I wish...I wish I could have been there.''_

''I wish a lot of things,'' she says and her voice is like sand slipping through your fingers. Soft and gone fast. ''I wish you weren't....like this, I wish I had never said yes to Henry, I wish I didn't feel so....'' She trails off and can't look him in the eyes because he's Daddy and she knows she'll break if he gives her that Thomas Wellington look that used to make his daughters tell him everything they were keeping.

_''What?''_ He prods gently and she can feel the words bubbling in her throat. _''What do you feel, honey? Guilty?''_

Amazingly, she manages to keep her mask on as she presses her lips together, working very hard not to look at him. She hadn't even looked him in the eyes and he still saw right through her. ''....No.'' She mumbles under her breath, clenching her fists nervously.

He huffs a little and moves his hand to her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. _''Don't lie to me, Trish; I know that's how you feel.''_

She looks up at him because she can't stop herself and she sees it all in his eyes. ''You were there,'' she says. ''Yesterday, on the roof, you were there, weren't you?''

He crosses his arms in a very familiar move (so that's where she gets it from) and nods briskly. _''Yes, I was. I couldn't take the chance that the boy would mess up and make you worse instead of better.''_

She snorts a little at that. ''Nice, Dad, really.''

_''He's scruffy.''_

''Yeah, well, look at me. Do I look like I'm going to be on the cover of Glamour magazine anytime soon?''

_''And unshaven.''_

''Yep.''

_''His clothes are wrinkled, his boots are scuffed, he has no manners, he's poor - ''_

''That's inappropriate.''

_''He's cocky, he's arrogant, he's rude and insensitive, clearly he's prone to panic and violence - ''_

''Dad....''

_''He's a little jagged and rough, he's broken and frayed around the edges, he called me Tommy - ''_

''He did?''

_''His last name is a kind of _weapon,_ he looks at you in a way that makes me want to pound him into the pavement and he....he took care of you.''_

She_ actually _has to do a double take, she _actually_ has to replay those last words in her mind before they sink in and even when they do, all she manages to get out is a small, ''Huh?''

_''He's....'' _Thomas pauses and grimaces like his words are physically hurting him. _''He's....better than Henry.''_

She blinks. ''So, wait....does that mean you actually....like him?''

_''I wouldn't go that far, I'm just saying he's a better choice than Henry was.''_

She feels a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips but somehow manages to catch herself at the last minute. ''That's not....I mean, I it's not like he's...I don't....He's just Dean, Dad. He's just a-a friend.''

_''Right.''_ Thomas nods but she doesn't trust that little half smile of his. _''Yes, I know. I was just mentioning that for....future references.''_

''He's just a friend.''

_''Of course.''_

She rolls her eyes getting the feeling he's not really believing her. With a small groan, she brushes past him and takes a seat on the stairs, running her fingers through her hair. She attempts to tell herself Dean is just a friend and she doesn't feel any feelings for him but can't quite manage to convince herself. Well, fuck. As if her life needed anymore complications.

_''Trish.''_

The sound of her father's voice brings her eyes back to him and she sees something in his eyes that makes her feel utterly exhausted. She'd like to tell him it's okay, she'll be fine, he doesn't have to worry about her but she doesn't. ''You have to go now, don't you?'' And even her voice sounds tired.

He smiles, slow and sad and a lot like hers, and takes a seat next to her._ ''I'd like to stay,'' _he sighs, _''but you know I can't.''_

She doesn't bother to say anything, tossing a weak smile in his direction instead.

_''I don't want you to feel guilty.''_

She sighs and lets out a humorless laugh, her glistening eyes straying to the ceiling like she's trying to see the sky. ''Everybody keeps telling me that.'' Her voice is so low is almost inaudible, her fingers expertly tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. ''And I...I don't want to feel guilty, of course I don't. It's just....how can I not? You....'' She takes a breath and looks down at her left hand, imagining a diamond that sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight. ''....You never liked Henry. You told me you didn't trust him and if I had just listened to you, if I hadn't brought him into our lives maybe you would still be here.''

_''Honey.'' _He wraps an arm around her and she lets out a breath she hadn't known she was holding._ ''You need to understand that the past is in the past. There's nothing you can do to change that. You loved Henry, you can't change that. None of this is your fault, Patricia, none of it. What's done is done; it's the way it has to be. Everybody's fine.''_

She smiles through tears and lurches forwards before she can stop herself, wrapping her arms around her daddy. ''I just miss you is all.''

He hugs her back for a moment and she can feel his breath on her neck. Who knew ghosts had breath. _''Listen to me, Trish,''_ his voice is firm as he pulls her away from him and meets her eyes._ ''I will always be with you. It doesn't matter where you go in life or how you get there, it doesn't matter how many mistakes you may make, I will always be there. We all will.''_

''Daddy, that....was the cheesiest thing I've ever heard.''

_''I'm your father, it's allowed.'' _She laughs and lets him lift her chin. _''Now, you need to listen to me. I need you to stop beating yourself up, do you understand? You need to stop crying and be the strong girl I know. Can you do that for me?''_

She nods, swiping at her eyes, feeling like a little girl again. ''Yeah, I think I can do that.'' He looks at her with those Thomas Wellington eyes and his gaze is so intense it actually makes her squirm. ''Why are you looking at me like that?''

He smiles, a very calm and serene kind of smile as he fingers her blond tresses. _''I don't think I've told you this but....I really like your hair.''_

She doesn't try to speak, her throat hurts too much and she knows her voice won't work.

_''I love you, Trish.''_

And that's when she knows it's time for him to go.

Leaning forwards, he presses his lips to her forehead and she closes her eyes, feeling him slip a little farther away from her. ''I love you too, Daddy.''

His voice, when he speaks again, sounds so far away she's afraid to open her eyes; she knows he won't be there._ ''I am so proud of you, sweetheart.''_

She's expecting it, but when she opens her eyes and he's not there it still hurts. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel like crying. But she won't. Somehow, the tears don't escape and her cheeks stay dry. Glancing around her, she sighs heavily, shakes her head and pushes herself to her feet. A place that once felt so dark and foreboding, a place from a past she didn't want to remember, suddenly feels like home. There's a part of her that wants to stay here forever, she supposes a part of her will always be here. She steps towards the door, hesitates, turns to give the Candlewick one last glance and she almost feels like she should say something. She just has no idea what she wants to say. A moment passes and then another and another and she still can't think of anything to say but that's okay. Some things just don't need words. That old confidence of hers that has gotten lost recently starts to come back to her and she feels a little bit like herself. Opening the door, she steps outside onto the porch and promptly stops in her tracks.

Much to her surprise, there's a Winchester waiting for her, seated casually on the steps with his eyes facing forwards, back to her. And she realizes she's not surprised at all to see him. Her smile widens and she crosses her arms, tilting her head to the side, studying the back of his head. If he hears her behind him, he doesn't react until she sits down beside him.

They don't say anything for awhile, the sound of silence is peaceful and contented and neither one of them have the heart to break it. Even when he eventually does break the silence, his voice seems to be quieter than usual. ''Are you ready to leave this place?''

She thinks it over, pulling her thin jacket tighter around her body when the cool air blows through her hair. ''I think....'' She lifts her eyes to the gray sky, watching birds fly out of a nearby tree. ''It's time to let go.''

She watches him closely, seeing the smile that lights up his face. ''I think so too.'' He cocks his head towards the front door. ''Are they....?''

''Everybody's fine.'' She repeats her father's words with ease; it's true. Everybody's fine. Including her.

''What are you going to do now?'' He asks bravely, turning his eyes to hers.

She shrugs, pressing her lips together. ''Keep hunting, I guess. What else can I do?''

''Hm.'' He looks away from her eyes, looking casual and carefree but she can see the struggle in his eyes and it makes her a little nervous. ''Well,'' he clears his throat, pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to her. ''You could always go there.''

She frowns suspiciously, unfolding the paper with a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. It's an address, one she doesn't recognize and she's not the least bit ashamed to admit she has no idea where he's going with this. ''What's this?''

He looks at her with those green eyes of his that make her feel a little weak in the knees, shrugs and says simply, ''Your sister's address.''

Saying she's stunned would be putting it lightly. She's just glad she's sitting. There isn't a day that goes by where she doesn't think about her sister and her niece and, God, she would love to see them, let them know she's alive, but....what the hell is she supposed to say? _Hi, I'm alive, oh and by the way I'm also a demon and you both have some demon in you too so watch out._ Yeah. That might not go over too well. The shock is like a wave of heat that makes her squirm and lick her lips in discomfort. Like only Ruby can, she recovers quickly and lets a smirk flicker on her lips as she looks up at Dean. ''You know, you act like this macho, tough as nails hunter guy but you're really just a big ball of fluff, aren't you?'' She drawls, nudging his shoulder playfully.

He smirks right back at her (she _so_ saw that one coming) and leans a little closer. ''Don't tell anyone.''

She smiles widely, averting her eyes back to the piece of paper. ''I don't know.'' She bites her lip and imagines all of the things that could go wrong with a Wellington sister reunion. ''Maybe....Maybe someday.'' She folds the paper and slips it into her pocket, glancing at him briefly. ''Will you be there? On that someday? When I'm ready?''

''I'm not going anywhere,'' he says and she can tell he means it.

''Good,'' she whispers and lets the silence take over again. She lets the silence linger for a few moments before she breaks it. Her eyes are on him and in the light she can see the faint bruises that litter his face, the split lip that is just barely healed. Frowning, she reacts on gut instinct and finds her fingers gently tracing the bruises. (She wisely pretends not to notice when he sucks in a sharp breath or the way her own heartbeat seems to be speeding up) ''Do they hurt?''

''Not so much anymore.''

She grimaces in apology, her fingers grazing a healed cut above his eyebrow. ''I'm sorry.''

''Don't be,'' he says instantly, locking eyes with her. ''You had to. Besides, I've had worse.''

''I'm sure.''

It happens slowly, in a very familiar turn of events, they begin to inch closer. Closer and closer with each passing second and neither one of them have any intention of pulling away. This is something they've been waiting for, after all. And then -

''Dean!''

They bolt apart so fast they nearly fall over, turning wide eyes to Sam.

''Ruby!'' The younger Winchester taps his watch impatiently. ''Are you two aware of the time at all? It is 1:55. We have five minutes.'' But then he pauses to take a breath and sees the looks on their faces. ''Am I interrupting something?''

''No,'' Dean shakes his head, clearing away the disappointment as he stands and effortlessly takes her hand, pulling her to her feet. ''Nothing at all.''

She smiles convincingly, nodding in agreement. ''Yeah, let's get going. We don't want to miss the boat.''

Sam gives them an odd look but doesn't comment and honestly, it just never occurs to them as he's leading her away, that his hand is still holding hers.

But....

But it's not like they _like _each other or anything.

They're just friends.

They don't have feelings.

They were _not _going to kiss.

They're just....

Nothing is going to -

....Shut up.

* * *

Finally back on the mainland, Ruby and Sam have the _pleasure _of watching Dean reunite with his car. Which among other things involves him throwing himself at the car, kissing it and talking to it like it's a real person. ''Oh, baby, did you miss me? Yeah, you missed me. That is _it_! I'm never leaving you again!''

Ruby arches an eyebrow and shares a look with Sam. ''He seems a little _too_ into his car.''

''Don't even get me started,'' Sam says dryly.

''I don't think I'd stand a chance.''

Sam grins. ''Do you want to stand a chance?''

She growls and brushes past him.

When Dean's got himself under control and both boys are leaning against the car, she makes the mistake of telling them she's going to head off. ''You're going to leave?'' Sam bursts out, incredulously. ''Why?''

''You could stay,'' Dean offers.

''I could,'' she agrees. ''But then it would ruin my awesome entrances. You boys wouldn't be nearly as excited to see me if you see me every day.'' She winks at them, laughing when Dean rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath even though she can see a smile working its way onto his face. ''But,'' she starts seriously. ''Thank you both for the help, I'm glad you were there. I don't think I could have done that alone.''

''You hear that, Sammy?'' Dean grins, elbowing his brother in the side, earning himself a glare from the younger man. ''She thanked us. _Ruby _thanked us.''

''Don't get used to it,'' she deadpans. ''I'll see you later.'' Purely on instinct, she steps forwards and stands on her tip toes to kiss Sam on the cheek. She moves to Dean next, but when she goes for his cheek, he does something completely and totally Dean and turns his head so she gets his lips instead. It's just a soft, friendly peck but it means so much more when it's on the lips.

''Oh, boy,'' Sam mutters, taking a small step away from them.

She pulls away, not even bothering to push away the shock that hides in her eyes. She can tell he's just as surprised as she is. She should say something but when she opens her mouth, nothing comes out. Still startled, she gives up and turns to go before it gets anymore awkward.

''Ruby,'' Dean says her name like it's some kind of deliciously wicked sin and before she can even get a step his hand has latched onto her arm and spun her around.

Lips meet, fireworks explode and everything gets a thousand times more complicated.

Yeah.

It is definitely a _whole different _kind of exploding.

**end story**

* * *

**AN: Oh, man. They kissed. I worked so hard to keep them from kissing but I couldn't stop that last one. Well, it's over now! Yep, the whole story. I can't believe it's finally over, this story has been such a thorn in my side.**** Moving on, I am so happy this story is over. I hope everyone enjoyed and I better get to work on some of my other stories.**

**Thanks for reading!**


End file.
